North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Boasts ‘World’s Most Powerful’ Tank Amid Tensions

On the 14th, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim Jong Un, the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, supervised a tank division’s combat training on the 13th. The North revealed a new type of tank, reinforcing its will to wage war against the South./Yonhap News

On the 14th, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim Jong Un, the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, supervised a tank division’s combat training on the 13th. North Korea revealed a new type of battle tank, reinforcing its will to wage war against the South./Yonhap News

Kim Jong Un, the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, emphasized war readiness by personally supervising a battle tank division’s combat training. This is interpreted as responding to the Shield of Freedom joint military drill with the United States, which started on the 4th and ends today.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, on the 14th, Kim supervised the Korean People’s Army Tank Division’s Combat Training. From his position, Kim couldn’t hide his satisfaction, saying, “The new main battle tank showed excellent striking power and mobility, revealing itself for the first time with an amazing combat performance,” and “It is a great pride that our army is equipped with the most powerful battle tank in the world.”

According to the report, he praised the “soldiers of battle tank combined forces who are making great efforts for war mobilization readiness” and presented a “foundational task for leading to the leaping performance of completion on war readiness by further intensifying the fighting spirit.”

He also gave detailed instructions on running the high-intensity actual training and training matches for improving the combat capabilities of the battle tank soldiers and conducting an in-lined ideal education to prepare the mental power of the battle tank soldiers at most.

North Korea previously unveiled a new type of battle tank at the military parade commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party in October 2020, and it appears that the deployment in actual combat has been completed. The new battle tank is highly likely to replace the existing main battle tanks, such as the Chonma-ho and the Pokpung-ho.

Meanwhile, Pak Jong Chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party, Kang Sun Nam, Minister of National Defense, and Ri Yong Gil, Chief of General Staff of the People’s Army, as well as the vice minister in charge of equipment at the Ministry of National Defense, the head of the tank department of the General Staff of the People’s Army, and the commander of the Tank Division of the People’s Army, attended the event.