North Korea's Kim orders sharp increase in missile production,

 days before US-South Korea drills

North Korea Koreas TensionsIn this undated photo provided on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, smiles in front of a military vehicle, during his Aug. 11-12 visit to a military factory in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)ASSOCIATED PRESSLess

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made another inspection tour of major munitions factories and ordered a drastic increase in production of missiles and other weapons, state media said Monday, days before South Korea and the U.S. begin annual military drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.

Kim’s push to produce more weapons also comes as U.S. officials believe Russia’s defense minister recently talked with North Korea about selling more weapons to Russia for its war with Ukraine.

The Korean Central News Agency said Kim visited factories producing tactical missiles, mobile launch platforms, armored vehicles and artillery shells on Friday and Saturday.