"Kim Jong Un Orders Intensified War Preparations and Military Drills in North Korea"

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered heightened readiness for war after inspecting field training of troops at a major military operations base in the western region of the country, as annual combined military drills by U.S. and South Korean forces began in the South with twice the number of troops compared to last year. Kim emphasized the need to intensify war preparations and improve combat capabilities, but it was not mentioned whether he directly referred to the U.S.-South Korean drills.