North Korea has conducted its first drills on nuclear counterattacks, simulating the management system of a “nuclear launch button” under the guidance of leader Kim Jong Un.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported the commencement of these exercises.
Kim Jong Un observed the simulated drills, which involved military maneuvers positioning for nuclear counterattacks and artillery firing with simulated nuclear warheads in response to an alarm regarding a nuclear crisis.
Expressing satisfaction with the training, Kim highly praised the readiness of the “world’s best” tactical nuclear weapons, as reported by KCNA.
Meanwhile, the South Korean military reported that North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles (reportedly KN-25) into the East Sea on Monday.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed the launch of several short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang region at 3:01 p.m.
“The North Korean missiles flew approximately 300 kilometers before landing in the sea,” the JCS stated in a message to reporters, refraining from providing further details due to ongoing analysis.
The JCS condemned the missile launches as “a clear provocation,” emphasizing the threat they pose to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and pledged to maintain heightened vigilance against any further provocations.
This marks North Korea’s first ballistic missile launch since testing a new intermediate-range ballistic missile equipped with a hypersonic warhead.
Previously, North Korea announced it had conducted a “super-large warhead” power test for a strategic cruise missile and test-fired a new anti-aircraft missile in the Yellow Sea on Friday.