WORLD
N. Korean leader inspects cruise missile test as S. Korea-U.S. military drills begin
Baku, August 21, AZERTAC
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a navy unit and inspected a cruise missile test aboard a warship, as South Korea and the United States began their annual joint military drills, Yonhap News Agency reported citing Pyongyang's state media.
The North's leader visited the Navy flotilla tasked with defending the east coast and watched the seamen on a patrol ship stage a launching drill of "strategic" cruise missiles, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, without disclosing the date of his visit.
"At the drill aimed to reconfirm the combat function of the ship and the feature of its missile system and make the seamen skilled at carrying out the attack mission in actual war, the ship rapidly hit target without even an error," the KCNA said in an English-language report.
South Korea and the U.S. kicked off the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise Monday, featuring various contingency drills, such as the computer simulation-based command post exercise, concurrent field training and Ulchi civil defense drills. The exercise will run until Aug. 31.