Kim himself at the wheel!

North Korea’s dictator shows off his latest tank

Kim Jong Un tests his new tank in person.

(Bild: AFP)

Kim Jong Un, North Korea's ruler with Stalinist features and a penchant for heavy military equipment, has found a new toy: a tank! The dictator presented it to the public in person and even drove it himself.

Wearing a black leather jacket, Kim saluted troops in camouflage and watched live ammunition exercises from a command post, as pictures from the state news agency KCNA showed on Thursday.

Kim himself at the wheel
Afterwards, "Kim climbed into the new type of main battle tank, took the control lever and drove the tank himself," the media reported. Kim expressed his "great satisfaction" with the "outstanding striking power" of the new tank.

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The North Korean ruler also emphasized the "importance of the role and task of tanks in modern warfare" and the "need to organize intensive exercises that simulate a real war".

The presentation of the new tank took place on the last day of the annual joint military exercise between North Korea's arch-enemies, the USA and South Korea. The maneuvers as part of "Freedom Shield" include training to intercept missiles and air strikes. Pyongyang declared last week that both countries would pay a "high price" for their exercises.

A short time later, North Korean state media reported that ruler Kim had conducted a large-scale artillery exercise with a unit that could reach South Korea's capital Seoul with its projectiles.