North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw tests of short-range ballistic missile systems on Thursday, simulating nuclear counterstrikes against U.S. and South Korean forces. State media reported that the tests came as North Korea blamed its rivals for escalating tensions through their joint military drills.
The tests, which were detected by South Korea’s military, involved launches from North Korea’s eastern coast and may also be linked to the country’s weapons exports to Russia, which are being used in Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to North Korea’s state news agency, the tests featured a mobile ballistic missile system similar to Russia’s Iskander and 600-millimeter multiple rocket launchers. South Korean officials classified the launchers as ballistic because they are self-propelled and guided, and both systems are part of North Korea’s growing arsenal of weapons that could be equipped with “tactical” nuclear warheads for use on the battlefield.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) stated that the tests aimed to train military units to execute missile and rocket attacks effectively under the country’s nuclear control system and to prepare for a rapid response in the event of a nuclear crisis. The report also criticized the U.S. and its allies for expanding joint military exercises around the Korean Peninsula, claiming these maneuvers were preparations for nuclear war. Kim Jong Un emphasized the need to strengthen the role of North Korea’s nuclear forces in both deterrence and active combat, calling for improved combat readiness and precision strike capabilities.
South Korea’s Ministry of Unification condemned the launches as a “clear act of provocation” that violates UN Security Council resolutions and threatens regional peace and stability. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have increased as North Korea continues to accelerate its nuclear and missile development while supplying weapons and troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
In a separate development, Kim Jong Un visited the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on Friday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany, reinforcing the strengthening of strategic ties between North Korea and Russia.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that multiple missiles were launched from near the eastern port city of Wonsan between 8:10 and 9:20 a.m., with the farthest missile traveling about 800 kilometers (497 miles). The missiles did not reach Japan’s exclusive economic zone, and there were no reports of damage to ships or aircraft. This was North Korea’s first known ballistic missile activity since March 10, when it launched several missiles following the start of joint U.S. and South Korean military exercises.
The missile tests on Thursday were part of North Korea’s ongoing missile activity, marking its sixth launch event of the year.
