North Korea tests cruise missiles designed to carry tactical nuclear weapons
A cleaning lady in front of a TV screen in Seoul shows footage of North Korea's launch of a long-range cruise missile.
AFP
North Korea has tested two "long-range strategic cruise missiles", in the presence of leader Kim Jong-un, according to state media, noting that they are designed to carry tactical nuclear weapons.
In recent weeks, Kim Jong Un has overseen a series of ballistic missile launches, which Pyongyang described as a tactical nuclear exercise, simulating the destruction of airports and military facilities in South Korea.
The North Korean news agency reported that this test was aimed at enhancing the combat efficiency of the winged missiles, stressing that these missiles "have already been provided to the units of the Korean People's Army responsible for operating tactical nuclear weapons."
The agency stated that the two cruise missiles, which flew at a much lower altitude compared to ballistic missiles, traveled 2,000 kilometers over the Yellow Sea, before reaching their targets.
The agency said that Kim "expressed his deep appreciation" after the tests, which were aimed at showing that the nuclear combat forces were "preparing for a real war" and to send a "clear warning to the enemies."
Kim has stepped up efforts to develop and test his banned nuclear arsenal, with talks long stalled and the conflict in Ukraine preventing the United Nations from adopting new sanctions.
For months, both Seoul and Washington have warned of the dangers of Pyongyang conducting a nuclear test, which would be North Korea's seventh.
The agency quoted Kim as confirming yesterday that North Korea "will focus all its efforts on the continuous and accelerated development of the national combat nuclear armed forces."
Unlike ballistic tests, North Korea is not prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions from testing cruise missiles.
Kim Jong-un made acquiring tactical nuclear weapons — smaller, lighter weapons designed for battlefield use — a top priority at the main party convention in January 2021.
Kim pledged this year to develop North Korea's nuclear forces as soon as possible.
In Seoul, South Korean President Yoon Sok-yeol said yesterday that he is carefully considering "various possibilities" on how to bolster America's extended deterrence against the growing nuclear threat from North Korea.
The comment comes after Chosun Elbo newspaper reported that South Korea has asked Washington to have strategic assets, such as nuclear aircraft carriers or nuclear submarines, in the waters around the Korean Peninsula on a round-the-clock basis, in the event that North Korea conducts a nuclear test. .
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