North Korea’s Kim test drives a new tank and orders troops to prepare for war

By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un joined troops training on a new model of tank and drove one himself, as his rivals South Korea and the U.S. wrapped up their annual military exercises, state media reported Thursday. It’s the third time during the 11-day drills that Kim was reported to join military drills, in an apparent response to the U.S.-South Korean exercises, which he views as rehearsals for an invasion. That’s a less provocative option than missile tests, which were widely expected. North Korea has intensified its testing since 2022 and ramped up belligerent rhetoric this year.