North Korean leader Kim Jong, UN, UN, simulated a nuclear counter strike against the US and South Korean troops, said on Friday as North continued to criticise rivals growing tensions through joint military exercises.
The report comes the day after South Korean troops detected multiple launches from North Korea’s east coast, and tests rated that the country’s arms exports to Russia during the war in Ukraine.
North Korea’s official South Korea Central Communications Agency said Thursday’s tests will include a mobile ballistic missile system modeled after Russian Iskander and multiple 600-mm rocket launchers that South Korean officials classify as ballistic trajectories for self-plants and guided flights. Both are part of a lineup of weapons systems that the North can be armed with “tactical” nuclear weapons for use on the battlefield.
KCNA said the test aims to train military units operating missile and rocket systems to more effectively carry out attacks under the nuclear weapons management system in the North and ensure a quick response to the nuclear crisis.
The agency criticized the US and its “vassal states” for expanding joint military exercises in and around the Korean Peninsula, which North Korea argued to be prepared for a nuclear war, saying Thursday’s launch demonstrated a “rapid disassembly” of its military.
Kim stressed the need to strengthen his nuclear forces’ role in both deterrence and combat, and called for continued efforts to improve combat preparation and ability to strike, KCNA said.
Kim In-nae, a spokesman for South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, which handles issues between South Korea, described the latest launch of North Korea as a “clear provocation” that violates a resolution from the UN Security Council and poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability.
South Korea’s co-star chief said multiple missiles of various types will be launched from the eastern port city area between 8:10am and 9:20am on Thursday (7:10pm to 8:20pm on Wednesday), with a state-of-the-art number of miles to be around 500 miles.
Co-Chief spokesman Lee Song Jun said at the briefing that the North Korean launch may be intended to test the performance of weapons it plans to export as the country continues to send military equipment and troops to fuel Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Defense Minister Nakatani told reporters that none of the North Korean missiles reached Japan’s exclusive economic zone and did not damage ships or aircraft to the area.
It was the first known ballistic activity in the North since March 10, when we and the South Korean military launched their annual military movement and fired several ballistic missiles hours after the start of the sixth launch event of the year.
Tensions on the South Korean Peninsula have escalated in recent months as North Korean leader Kim continues to accelerate the development of his nuclear and missile programmes and supply weapons and troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The release came on Thursday the day after North Korean state media said Kim had urged munitions workers to increase production of artillery fire amid deepening its deepening with Moscow.
