North Korea: The state media announced that more than 800,000 young North Koreans have volunteered to join the army to combat “US imperialists.” The announcement came days after Pyongyang test-fired its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile.

Seoul and Washington have increased security cooperation following a record-breaking year of missile testing and rising nuclear threats from Pyongyang. This week, they began their largest joint military exercises in five years.

All of these training sessions are seen as invasion drills by North Korea, which has frequently threatened to respond with “overwhelming” force. According to the official Korean Central News Agency, the United States is trying to “provoke a nuclear war” through these drills, and as a result, hundreds of thousands of people have volunteered.

Young North Koreans could be seen lining up in front of what appeared to be a building site to sign their names in photos posted by Pyongyang’s official Rodong Sinmun. The most recent report was released after Pyongyang conducted its second ICBM test of the year, launching a Hwasong-17, one of its biggest and most potent missiles.

The state media reported that the launch was a reaction to the ongoing, “frantic,” joint military exercises between the US and South Korea. North Korea’s leader Mr. Kim Jong Un recently called for exponential growth in the manufacturing of weapons, including tactical nukes. Last year, North Korea declared itself an irreversible nuclear power. Mr. Kim earlier this month also gave the North Korean military orders to step up training in order to get ready for a “real war.”

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