Overview
- KCNA said Kim oversaw a coordinated infantry‑and‑armor exercise at Pyongyang Training Base No. 60 that featured North Korea’s new main battle tank.
- State media claimed the tank’s active protection system intercepted anti‑tank missiles and drones from multiple directions during tests.
- Kim called the tank “very superior,” said it would be equipped across ground forces, and emphasized improved night operations following a years‑long development effort.
- Photos and video showed his teenage daughter, widely identified as Kim Ju Ae, in the driver’s hatch, a fresh display that analysts link to succession messaging as South Korea’s NIS assesses she is nearing successor designation.
- The event coincided with the conclusion of the U.S.–South Korea Freedom Shield exercises and followed a test of 600mm rocket launchers that analysts note as part of North Korea’s push to integrate drones, armor and nuclear‑capable systems.