North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised salvo launches of the country’s ‘super-large’ multiple rocket launchers on Monday, simulating a nuclear counterattack against enemy targets. The launches, reported by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), are the latest in a series of belligerent testing activities and threats that have heightened tensions in the region.
According to KCNA, the Monday launches represented the first demonstration of the country’s ‘Haekbangashoe’ nuclear-weapons management and control system. The drill aimed to showcase the strength and diverse attack capabilities of North Korea’s nuclear forces amid deepening tensions with the United States and South Korea, which Pyongyang portrays as ‘warmongers’ escalating regional tensions with their combined military exercises.
The launches involved at least four rockets fired from launch vehicles, with Kim observing from an observation post. The rockets reportedly flew 352 kilometers (218 miles) before accurately striking an island target, verifying the reliability of the nuclear force’s command, management, control, and operation system.
Kim expressed satisfaction with the drill, emphasizing how it demonstrated the expansion and diversification of the country’s tactical nuclear attack capabilities. He stressed the drill’s importance in preparing nuclear forces ‘to be able to rapidly and correctly carry out their important mission of deterring a war and taking the initiative in a war in any time and any sudden situation.’
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the weapons launched on Monday flew approximately 300 kilometers (185 miles) before crashing into the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, suggesting they could potentially target South Korean sites.
North Korea has been persistently testing weapons in recent months, developing its military capabilities while diplomacy with the US and South Korea remains stalled. Experts believe Kim’s goal is to pressure the US into recognizing North Korea as a nuclear power and negotiating concessions from a position of strength.
In response to North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats, the US and South Korea have intensified their bilateral and trilateral military exercises with Japan. The countries are also working to enhance their nuclear deterrence strategies centered around strategic US assets.
North Korea has previously tested nuclear-capable missiles designed to strike targets in South Korea, Japan, and the mainland US. Experts assess that North Korea already possesses nuclear missiles capable of reaching South Korea and Japan but has yet to develop functional intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach the continental US.
The latest launches follow North Korea’s announcement of testing a ‘super-large’ cruise missile warhead and a new anti-aircraft missile last week. In early April, the country also test-launched a solid-fuel intermediate-range missile with hypersonic warhead capabilities, seen as a potential threat to remote targets in the US territory of Guam and beyond.
There is speculation that North Korea may soon conduct its second military spy satellite launch, following the successful launch of its first spy satellite into orbit in November. Kim has emphasized the importance of space-based reconnaissance for monitoring US and South Korean military activities and enhancing the threat posed by his nuclear-capable missiles. North Korea plans to launch three additional military spy satellites in 2024.
