On Thursday, North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile in the direction of the East Sea (Sea of Japan), according to South Korea’s military. This incident occurs just days after Pyongyang’s failed attempt to launch a spy satellite. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff provided no additional details, while Japan’s coastguard and prime minister’s office confirmed the missile launch and stated that they were gathering further information.
North Korea carried out its first nuclear counterattack drills to simulate its “nuclear trigger” management system, guided by leader Kim Jong Un, as a clear warning to its enemies, state news agency KCNA said on Tuesday. As part of testing the nationwide nuclear management system, called “nuclear trigger”, its artillery forces joined the country’s first such drills on Monday in a show of diversified nuclear capabilities and protest against U.S. and South Korean “provocative and invasive” military exercises, KCNA reported. Kim oversaw the simulation drills involving maneuvering troops in nuclear counterattack posture, and firing artillery with mock nuclear warheads, in case nuclear crisis alerts were issued, according to KCNA.
