North Korean leader Kim visits tank unit and touts war preparations in face of tensions with Seoul

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a tank exercise and encouraged his armored forces to sharpen war preparations in the face of growing tensions with South Korea, the North’s state media said Monday.

Kim made those comments Sunday while visiting his top tank group, the Seoul Ryu Kyong Su Guards 105th Tank Division. The unit’s name marks how it was the first North Korean military unit to reach the South Korean capital in 1950 when a North Korean surprise attack triggered a war that dragged on for almost four years.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have heightened after Kim in past months dialed up his military demonstrations, including tests of nuclear-capable missiles designed to target South Korea, the United States and Japan, while issuing threats of nuclear conflict against its rivals.

Washington, Seoul and Tokyo have responded by strengthening their combined military exercises and updating their deterrence plans built around strategic U.S. assets.

Photos published by North Korean state media showed Kim talking with military officers at an observation post and tanks with North Korean flags rolling through dirt, with at least one of the vehicles carrying a sign that read: “Annihilate U.S. invaders who are staunch enemies of the Korean people!”

The official Korean Central News Agency said Kim praised the 105th Division as a model for his entire army “in the ongoing struggle … for finishing war preparations.” He also issued instructions to improve the unit’s combat preparations and upgrade its equipment, the report said.

Jeon Ha Gyu, spokesperson of South Korea’s Defense Ministry, said the South Korean and U.S. militaries were closely monitoring North Korean military activities but did not