SEOUL – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw military drills that included storming border guard posts, stepping up pressure on South Korea after saying he has the right to annihilate his neighbour and no longer seeks peaceful unification.

His visit of a major military operations base in the western region of the country, the location of which was not identified, comes after annual combined military drills by United States and South Korean forces began on March 4.

Twice the number of troops are taking part in the drills this year compared to 2023.

Mr Kim called for his army “to usher in a new heyday of intensifying the war preparations in line with the requirements of the prevailing situation”, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on March 7.

It also released photos of the drills showing troops and helicopters in training to take over a post similar to what South Korea has on its side of the border.

“Our army should ... steadily intensify the actual war drills aimed at rapidly improving its combat capabilities for perfect war preparedness,” KCNA quoted Mr Kim as telling the troops.

He inspected troops conducting actual manoeuvres under conditions simulating actual war, KCNA said.

The training comes as the US and South Korea this week kicked off Freedom Shield, one of their largest annual joint military exercises.

A North Korean Defence Ministry spokesman said the two countries would “pay a dear price” for the drills that threaten the existence of the government in Pyongyang, KCNA reported, raising the possibility of a military provocation as a display of anger.

The North Korean leader set a belligerent tone for relations with South Korea to start the year by eliminating the concept of peaceful unification from his state’s national policy and holding artillery drills off a South Korean island near a nautical border that has been the scene of deadly conflicts in the past.

This has led to some speculation that Mr Kim has turned the corner on his outbursts and is readying for battle.

US President Joe Biden has warned Mr Kim that it would mean the end of his regime if he tried to launch a nuclear attack.

The government of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said it believes North Korea will be trying to raise its profile ahead of April elections for parliament.

Mr Yoon’s conservative People Power Party, which backs military cooperation with the US and a tough stance toward Pyongyang, is seeking to wrest control of the body from the opposition Democratic Party, which favours rapprochement with the North. BLOOMBERG, REUTERS