Seoul | North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered his military to sharpen its war plans and signed off on expanding combat operations of frontline units, state media said on Thursday, as the United States and South Korea prepare for a large-scale combined military exercise.

Condemning the allies’ expanding drills as invasion rehearsals, Mr Kim has used them as a pretext to further accelerate his weapons demonstrations, which have included the test-firings of more than 100 missiles since the start of 2022, driving tensions on the Korean Peninsula to their highest point in years.

AP