SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un condemned South Korean-U.S. military drills and vowed a rapid expansion of his nuclear forces to counter rivals, state media said Tuesday, as he inspected his most advanced warship being fitted with nuclear-capable systems.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said a U.S.-South Korea joint military exercise could "ignite a war" and called for the rapid expansion of Pyongyang's nuclear capabilities.

Since taking office in a snap election in June, the liberal Lee has taken steps to lower tensions with the nuclear-armed North, and the issue is one where he is expected to find common ground with Trump, who still boasts of his historic summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

North Korea's Kim Yo Jong firmly dismisses South Korea as a diplomatic partner, criticizing recent military drills with the US as provocations and asserting Seoul's peace initiatives as insincere. Meanwhile,

A move to lower tensions with Kim Jong Un's hermit kingdom has led to vital radio broadcasts of Christian material being cut off from the people who need it most.

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader, has criticized South Korea and President Lee Jae Myung for their 'dual personality'—advocating for peace while proceeding with joint U.S. military drills.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister repeated her dismissal of Seoul's outreach efforts, saying that South Korea "cannot be a diplomatic partner."

Ulchi Freedom Shield will involve 21,000 soldiers in computer-simulated command post operations and field training.