Ri Yong-gil

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dismissed his top general and called for stepping up war preparations "in an offensive way", including boosting weapons production and conducting more drills, state media reported Thursday.

The chief of North Korea’s military, General Ri Young-gil, has been executed on charges of corruption, according to a South Korean news agency.

He had been chief of the general staff for North Korea since he was appointed to the role in August 2013 by Kim Jong-un .