North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for intensifying “practical actual war drills” during a visit to a military training base, state media said Thursday, as a joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States was under way.

During the visit to the base in the country’s western region Wednesday, Kim inspected training facilities and guided the actual maneuvers of military units, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

The visit came two days after South Korea and the U.S. began their annual Freedom Shield exercise Monday to strengthen deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. The North has condemned the joint exercise, warning the countries will pay a “dear price.”

“He set forth the important tasks for intensifying the practical actual-war drills ensuring the victory in a war,” the KCNA said.

Kim also instructed the military to beef up drills to improve its combat capabilities to contain enemies with “overwhelming force” and their “slightest attempt to ig
nite a war,” the KCNA said in an English-language dispatch.

Source: Yonhap News Agency