North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a navy unit and inspected a test of launching cruise missiles, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday, in an apparent bid to respond to joint military drills between South Korea and the United States.
The North's leader inspected the Guards 2nd Surface Ship Flotilla of the East Sea Fleet of the navy of the Korean People's Army (KPA), according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
He also watched seamen of the patrol ship staging a drill of launching "strategic" cruise missiles, it added.
At the drill aimed at "carrying out the attack mission in actual war, the ship rapidly hit target without even an error," the KCNA said in a statement.
South Korea and the U.S. kicked off the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise on 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.
Source: Yonhap News Agency