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Monday, November 18, 2019, 09:49
Kim 'supervises air drills' while US, ROK postpone drills
By Agencies
Monday, November 18, 2019, 09:49 By Agencies

This undated photo provided on Nov 18, 2019 by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's government shows a parachuting drill of military sharpshooters at an unknown location in the DPRK. (PHOTO / KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY / KOREA NEWS SERVICE VIA AP)

SEOUL/WASHINGTON/BANGKOK - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) media reported on Monday that leader Kim Jong-un supervised air force drills for the second time in three days, even as the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) decided to postpone their joint air drills to ease denuclearization talks with the DPRK.

DPRK state news agency KCNA said Kim supervised an airborne landing training of sharpshooter sub-units of the Air and Anti-Aircraft Force of the DPRK army.

Kim "said that it is necessary to wage a drill without notice under the simulated conditions of real war" for "improving the preparedness" of DPRK's military units, the KCNA said

Kim "said that it is necessary to wage a drill without notice under the simulated conditions of real war" for "improving the preparedness" of DPRK's military units, the KCNA said.

The DPRK's move came despite a top US military official saying the US and ROK have postponed a combined flying training event, according to the US Department of Defense on Sunday.

Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was quoted as saying on Saturday the decision was made to help give an opportunity to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to come back to the negotiation table.

US President Donald Trump and his ROK counterpart Moon Jae-in have approved the decision, according to the statement.

Separately on Sunday, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper denied in Bangkok the move amounted to another concession to Pyongyang. 

READ MORE: US, ROK postpone drills in bid to bolster DPRK peace effort

The flying training event is a wing-sized event with aircrew from the US and ROK. The drills, already planned to be scaled back from previous years, would have simulated air combat scenarios and involved an undisclosed number of warplanes from both the US and ROK to test readiness.

Trump cancelled the predecessor event, Exercise Vigilant Eagle, in 2018.

On Saturday, KCNA had reported that Kim watched a "combat flight contest" of the flight commanding officers of the Air and Anti-Aircraft Force. A photo in state newspaper Rodong Sinmun showed him smiling amid pilots gathered around him.

READ MORE: DPRK’s Kim attends military air show, lauds pilots

It was unclear when Kim oversaw these events, or whether it was on the same day. There were no mention of the US or ROK in the KCNA reports.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday told Kim, "You should act quickly, get the deal done" with the US, and signed off "See you soon!" on Twitter.

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