After receiving a report about the shelling plan, he indicated the firing order and method and gave an order to start the shelling.

Watching the drill, he severely criticized the sub-unit for failing to make good combat preparations.

He noted that its failure to make a successful shelling drill this time was attributable to the formalism manifested in training.

"The flames of the movement for becoming crackshots are furiously raging, true to the intention of the party not to allow formalistic and ready-made method and stylish practice in artillery training. But the minds of the commanding officers of this sub-unit and relevant unit seem to be away from a battle field", he said.

He added: "There are among some commanding officers practices of sending soldiers for other purposes and attaching less importance to the training. Of course, they might do sideline jobs for improving the living of service personnel and do their bit in building a rich and powerful nation as well. However, they should always give priority to making combat preparations."

He pointed out that the serious defects were manifested in the sub-unit's combat preparations because the party committee of the unit failed to successfully do the party political work, the work with the commanding officers and soldiers to help them perform their revolutionary duties.

He advanced important tasks to be fulfilled by the KPA to step up combat preparations and bolstering up the fighting capabilities, emphasizing that the KPA's combat preparations do not allow a unit to make them tomorrow if it failed to do today.

He was accompanied by Yun Tong Hyon, vice-minister of the People's Armed Forces.