By Yi Whan-woo
North Korea has scaled down its annual exercise involving tank and other armored vehicle units, according to sources familiar with Pyongyang.
The sources said last week North Korea mobilized its armored units on the border regions for first the first time this year and held the firing exercise accordingly.
It said the number of participating units and equipment fell sharply from last year and that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not attend.
Kim observed the event in 2016 and 2017.
"It was confirmed that Kim was not there," a source said.
The annual exercise has usually been held in frontline areas for training but has been conducted in a manner similar to an actual battle.
Tanks are scored by how fast and how well they fire at moving and fixed targets, as well as their skill in avoiding obstacles.
Kim, a diehard basketball fan, has changed the armored units' training into a kind of sports competition and has prodded even aged unit commanders to drive tanks in the contest, according to the sources.
They said scaling down the exercise was seen as bid to cope with inter-Korean reconciliation following a summit between President Moon Jae-in and Kim on April 27.
South Korean and U.S. forces also conducted annual military drills in a low-key manner this year.
North Korea has scaled down its annual exercise involving tank and other armored vehicle units, according to sources familiar with Pyongyang.
The sources said last week North Korea mobilized its armored units on the border regions for first the first time this year and held the firing exercise accordingly.
It said the number of participating units and equipment fell sharply from last year and that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not attend.
Kim observed the event in 2016 and 2017.
"It was confirmed that Kim was not there," a source said.
The annual exercise has usually been held in frontline areas for training but has been conducted in a manner similar to an actual battle.
Tanks are scored by how fast and how well they fire at moving and fixed targets, as well as their skill in avoiding obstacles.
Kim, a diehard basketball fan, has changed the armored units' training into a kind of sports competition and has prodded even aged unit commanders to drive tanks in the contest, according to the sources.
They said scaling down the exercise was seen as bid to cope with inter-Korean reconciliation following a summit between President Moon Jae-in and Kim on April 27.
South Korean and U.S. forces also conducted annual military drills in a low-key manner this year.
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