North Korea conducts artillery firings at Kim’s order

North Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has visited a frontline islet and ordered troops there to practice firing artillery pieces

North Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has visited a frontline island and ordered troops there to practice firing artillery.

The North’s Korean Central News Agency said Monday that the firing happened when Kim inspected a military unit on Changrin Islet near the disputed sea boundary with South Korea.

It was Kim’s first known visit to frontline troops since he entered nuclear talks with the United States last year.

Those talks remains stalled since Kim’s second summit with President Donald Trump in February.

KCNA says Kim ordered artillery troops to fire before indicating the target for them. It says the troops “fully showed their gun firing skills” and “delighted the supreme leader.”

Seoul’s Defense Ministry expressed regret over the drills, saying they violated last year’s tension-reduction deals between the Koreas.