North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un ordered his troops to make preparations for war during an exercise with his troops this week, making the comments as the U.S. and South Korea are wrapping up large-scale military exercises.
Kim oversaw a training session for tanks crews on Thursday in Pyongyang and praised the ability of the troops participating in the exercise, calling them the most powerful tanks in the world, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
The North Korean leader also urged his troops to conduct more training simulations preparing for war, according to KCNA, which reported that Kim called for them to “take revolutionary measures” toward “perfecting war preparations.”
At the end of the training session, Kim also mounted a battle tank and drove it, according to KCNA.
Kim has grown more combative against the U.S. and South Korea in the past year. In January, Kim said he would no longer seek peaceful reunification with South Korea and ordered the tearing down of a statue that symbolized that goal.
His latest remarks come as the U.S. and South Korea are finishing Thursday an 11-day exercise on the Korean Peninsula.
Those military drills have angered North Korea, which has traditionally responded with missile tests and inflammatory remarks against the U.S. and South Korea.
Tensions have soared between North Korea and South Korea in recent years after mediation attempts under former President Trump’s administration failed.
The relationship reached a new low point last year after North Korea launched a spy satellite into space, which led to the abandoning of a military reduction agreement at the border.