Kim Jong Un supervises another N. Korean military drill

rth Korean leer Kim Jong Un supervised a parachuting drill of military sharpshooters and vowed to build an “invincible army,” displaying more defiance even as United States and South Korea called off ir own exercises to create for nuclear diplomacy. report Monday by Korean Central News ncy came hours after President Donald Trump in a tweet urged Kim to “act quickly, get deal done” while hinting at ar summit, writing, “See you soon!”

At an Asian defense ministers’ conference in Bangkok on Sunday, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said United States has indefinitely postponed a joint military exercise with South Korea in an “act of goodwill” toward rth Korea. Diplomats have been pushing to resume stalled nuclear talks ahe of Kim’s end-of-year deline for Trump ministration to salv diplomacy. rth Korea has publicized two military drill in three days. A report Saturday said Kim urged combat pilots to prepare against enemies “armed to teeth” while attending a flight demonstration. KCNA published photos that showed Kim posing with rth Korean air force sharpshooters and soldiers who used white parachutes to land on a training field.

Kim while supervising drill said it’s “necessary to w a drill without tice under simulated conditions of real war” for improving his military’s war reiness and build it into an “invincible army,” KNCA said. Kim did t make any specific comment toward Washington or Seoul in report. rth Korea has been ramping up missile tests and or military demonstrations in recent months in an apparent pressure tactic over talks.

Negotiations have faltered since a February summit between Kim and Trump in Vietnam, which broke down after U.S. rejected rth Korean demands for bro sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities. Kim issued an end-of-year deline for Trump ministration to offer mutually acceptable terms for a deal while saying that rth would seek a “new path” if United States persists with sanctions and pressure. Working-level talks last month in Sweden broke down over what rth Koreans described as Americans’ “old stance and attitude.”

rth Korea last week said United States has proposed a resumption of stalled nuclear negotiations in December. But rth Korean negotiator Kim Myong Gil didn’t clearly say wher rth would accept supposed U.S. offer and said country has interest in talks if y are aimed at buying time without discussing solutions. He said rth isn’t willing to make a deal over “matters of secondary importance,” such as possible U.S. offers to formally declare an end to 1950-53 Korean War, which was halted by a cease-fire, t a peace treaty, or establish a liaison office between countries.