At a ceremony in Pyongyang, Kim Jong Un praised the overseas troops and said their participation demonstrated "the power of the heroic (North Korean) army."

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 demands nuclear buildup after calling joint U.S.-South Korea military drills an expression of will to "provoke war."

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.