Kim Jong Un rants about ‘hostile’ US-South Korea exercises while inspecting North Korea’s largest warship
Kim Jong Un makes nuclear pledge after South Korea-US military drills
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un condemned the joint US-South Korean military drills, labelling them an "obvious expression of their will to provoke war".
- Mr Kim vowed to rapidly expand North Korea's nuclear arsenal and inspected an advanced warship being fitted with nuclear-capable systems.
- The annual 11-day drills, named Ulchi Freedom Shield, involve 21,000 troops and are designed to prepare for a potential attack from North Korea.
- Seoul and Washington maintain the exercises are purely defensive, despite Pyongyang regularly criticising them as rehearsals for invasion.
- Efforts to address North Korea's nuclear weapons development are expected to be discussed at an upcoming meeting between Donald Trump and South Korean president Lee.