The North Korean leader stands with two of his senior aides while supervising a missile test earlier (European)
Today, Friday, North Korea conducted new missile tests, the fourth in a matter of days, at a time when the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, ordered the naval forces to "intensify war preparations."
The South Korean army said - today - that the North's neighbor launched several cruise missiles off its western coast, explaining that the launch took place at two in the morning UTC, but did not provide further details.
This is the fourth time that Pyongyang has conducted such experiments in just over a week.
Earlier, North Korea described these missiles as "strategic", indicating that they may have nuclear capability. It said it tested new submarine-launched cruise missiles in the presence of Leader Kim to supervise the launch.
In the same context, Kim called on the naval forces to intensify war preparations and protect maritime sovereignty. This came during his visit to a military shipyard, according to what local official media reported today.
Orders and pledges
North Korean Central News Agency said that Leader Kim stressed - during his visit to the Nampo Shipyard - that strengthening the naval forces is the most important issue in modernizing the country's shipbuilding industry. The agency did not clarify the date on which the president's visit took place.
Kim was briefed on ongoing preparations to build warships. For his part, he ordered officials to move forward unconditionally with the five-year military development plan that was presented during the party conference in 2021, according to the Central News Agency.
During the key meeting, Kim pledged to develop high-tech weapons, including a nuclear-powered submarine, along with a hypersonic missile, a spy satellite, and solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Source: Agencies