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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has emphasized the need for his country to quickly expand its military’s nuclear capabilities, citing annual U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises. According to state media reports, including the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper, Kim stated that “the security environment around North Korea is getting more serious day by day” and requires a “radical and swift change in existing military theory and practice.”
Kim accused the United States and South Korea of intensifying their exercises and demonstrating a “will to ignite a war.” He argued that these exercises are “provocative and dangerous, especially as they now involve a military nexus with nuclear elements,” according to Rodong Sinmun.
The Korean Peninsula remains in a technical state of war, divided by the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea and South Korea.
During an inspection tour on August 18, Kim Jong Un visited Nampo and inspected the newly unveiled Choe Hyon, a 5,000-ton-class destroyer.
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This coincided with the start of the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, a large-scale joint military operation by South Korean and U.S. forces aimed at bolstering readiness against potential North Korean threats. The 11-day exercise will involve 21,000 troops, including 18,000 South Koreans, in computer-simulated command post operations and field training.
The article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, Kim Jong Un inspects the warship Choe Hyon in Nampo, North Korea, on August 18, 2025.
