Irked by US-South Korea drill, North Korea’s Kim threatens ‘rapid expansion’ of nuclear weapons

Irked by US-South Korea drill, North Korea’s Kim threatens ‘rapid expansion’ of nuclear weapons

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un condemned South Korea–US military drills as ‘provocations’ and vowed rapid nuclear expansion. Inspecting the nuclear-capable destroyer Choe Hyon, Kim warned of ‘overwhelming’ countermeasures as allies stage the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the warship Choe Hyon in Nampo, North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)