North Korea Continues to Show Strength and Declares Ready for War
This is the third time Kim has taken part in military drills during the 11-day South Korea-US joint military exercises.
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The photo, taken on March 13, 2024, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (center) posing for a photo with soldiers from the Tank Division Ke-105 Seoul Ryu Kyong Su Guards during a secret training location. Note: No translations needed for the forbidden words in this article.
SEOUL, THURSDAY — North Korea continues to show off its strength and declares itself ready for war. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un even joined war games with soldiers and drove a main battle tank. This is the third time Kim has taken part in military exercises during the 11-day joint training exercise between South Korea and the United States.
The official news agency of North Korea, KCNA, reported on Thursday (14/3/2024) that Kim declared himself "very satisfied" because the main battle tank successfully demonstrated its strength in its first test on Wednesday. He praised the latest tank made by North Korea as the strongest in the world.
Also read: Kim Jong Un Leads North Korean Artillery Shooting Practice towards Seoul
KCNA has stated that the latest combat exercise was designed to test the capabilities of the combat tank crew and to familiarize them with battles with different tactical missions. "With speed through different worst-case scenarios, the tanks hit their targets with attacking power and penetrate the defense line with high maneuverability," said KCNA.
The North Korean main battle tank was first introduced to the public in 2020. In the military parade at that time, three units of M2020 tanks were seen, which used 125 millimeter large caliber cannons and anti-tank missiles with a weight of over 50 tons.
The photo taken on March 13, 2024 and released by North Korea's official news agency, KCNA, shows North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un (center) supervising military war exercises in a classified location.
In the photo published by KCNA, Kim can be seen sticking his head out of the tank he was riding. Another photo shows Kim wearing a leather jacket and posing with soldiers in front of a tank. KCNA's photos also show a line of tanks firing ammunition with North Korean flags waving in the background.
Kim ordered his troops to ignite fighting spirit and complete "war preparations". In the two previous military exercises, the soldiers practiced firing artillery and maneuvers. KCNA stated that the military exercises involve units near the border with South Korea, which can reach the "enemy capital", referring to Seoul.
Also read: North Korea Tests Missiles within Range of US Base in Guam
According to Yang Uk, an observer from the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in South Korea, the appearance in yesterday's exercises indicates that the tank is ready to be operated by the North Korean military. In a series of photos released by KCNA, the tank appears to have a missile launcher hole. This technology was adopted by Soviet-made tanks in the 1970s.
Furthermore, it is added that such type of tank can pose a threat to South Korea. The question is, can North Korea produce a significant amount of these tanks in a short amount of time?
A photo released on March 13, 2024 by KCNA showed a military exercise between two North Korean army units at an undisclosed location.
North Korea's military exercise coincided with a joint military exercise between South Korea and the US, which ended on Thursday. The exercise, named Freedom Shield, was held for the first time since North Korea withdrew from the inter-Korean military agreement in November 2018.
Joint exercises between South Korea and the US, including shooting exercises at a base in the city of Pocheon. The exercise involved tanks, armored vehicles, and FA-50 fighter jets. They held 48 types of field maneuvers, twice as many as last year's exercise schedule.
Also read: North Korea and South Korea exchange artillery fire on maritime borders
South Korea and the US are expanding the drills in response to North Korea's repeated missile launches. The exercise is a routine agenda based on bilateral agreements between the two countries since October 1953 when the Korean War ended. Both countries also expressed concern about North Korea's military preparations which were seen as further fueling tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Moreover, in January 2024, Kim put aside the idea of peaceful unification of the two Koreas.
North Korea has long condemned South Korea-US military exercises. Pyongyang calls them exercises for war and invading North Korea. Meanwhile, South Korea says the military exercises are purely for defense. Last week, the North Korean Ministry of Defense threatened to launch a military operation in response to the South Korea-US military exercises.
The photo taken on March 13, 2024, which has been released by KCNA, shows new type main battle tanks used in North Korea's military exercise at an unspecified location.
Currently, the North Korean armored (cavalry) fleet and howitzers rely on tanks and SP guns manufactured by the Soviet Union during World War II. Amongst them are combat tanks T-34, T54 or T55, type 59 from China, T-62M, as well as domestically produced tanks such as Chonma-ho, Pokpung-ho, and Songun-915.
Various types of North Korean light tanks include PT-76, type 63 made in China, PT-85, and SU-76 which are often used as self-propelled artillery. North Korean self-propelled artillery, which has large caliber guns, are M1985 and M1989/M1982. (AP/REUTERS)
