North Korea announced Friday that it conducted strategic cruise missile tests earlier this week, with leader Kim Jong-un overseeing the drills and emphasizing full nuclear war preparedness.
The launches took place in waters off the country’s west coast, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
A missile unit of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) in western North Korea executed the launch drills on Wednesday morning. KCNA reported that the exercise aimed to demonstrate North Korea’s counterattack capabilities and the readiness of its nuclear deterrence forces.
Kim Jong-un reiterated the need to maintain “a reliable nuclear shield” to defend the country’s sovereignty and security.
“What is guaranteed by powerful striking ability is the most perfect deterrence and defense capacity,” Kim said, urging North Korea to strive for thorough battle readiness and nuclear preparedness.
According to KCNA, the missiles traveled a 1,587-kilometer oval trajectory, remaining airborne for approximately 7,961 to 7,973 seconds before hitting their designated targets with precision. North Korea’s reference to the weapons as “strategic” suggests they may have nuclear strike capabilities.
South Korea’s military confirmed the missile launches, stating that multiple cruise missiles were detected heading toward the Yellow Sea at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Intelligence authorities from South Korea and the United States are currently analyzing the tests.
“Our military is closely monitoring various North Korean activities under the firm South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture so that North Korea does not misjudge the current security situation,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated in a message to reporters.
This latest missile launch is North Korea’s first cruise missile test since January 25, when it tested sea-to-surface strategic cruise guided missiles. It also comes ahead of the Freedom Shield military exercises, a major South Korea-U.S. joint drill scheduled for next month.
Pyongyang has long condemned these exercises, claiming they serve as a pretext for invasion. However, Seoul and Washington have repeatedly emphasized that the drills are purely defensive in nature.