North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of short-range ballistic missiles during a military drill simulating nuclear strikes on targets in South Korea and the United States, state media reported Friday. The tests come amid escalating tensions over joint military exercises by Washington and Seoul, which Pyongyang sees as a direct threat.
The launches took place on Thursday, a day before the official report was released, and were detected by South Korea’s military along North Korea’s eastern coast. South Korean authorities noted that the tests may be tied not only to Pyongyang’s weapons program but also to its growing arms exports to Russia for the war in Ukraine.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the drills involved a mobile ballistic missile system, apparently modeled after the Russian Iskander, as well as 600-millimeter multiple rocket launchers that South Korean officials classify as ballistic missiles due to their self-propulsion and guided flight. Both are part of what the North claims is an expanding arsenal of “tactical” nuclear weapons intended for battlefield use.
According to the report, the purpose of the exercise was to train units responsible for operating these systems under North Korea’s nuclear weapons command and to strengthen their ability to respond swiftly to a nuclear crisis.
KCNA also used the announcement to lash out at the United States and its “vassal states” for expanding joint military drills on and around the Korean Peninsula, which Pyongyang considers preparations for nuclear war. The agency stated that Thursday’s launches demonstrated the “rapid response capability” of its troops.
Kim Jong Un reiterated the need to enhance the role of his nuclear forces not only as a deterrent but also for offensive operations, and called for continued efforts to improve combat readiness and precision strike capabilities, the agency said.
In Seoul, Kim Inae, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification—which handles inter-Korean affairs—condemned the launches as “a clear act of provocation” that violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have intensified in recent months alongside the rapid advancement of North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and its growing military cooperation with Moscow, including reported arms and troop support for the Kremlin’s offensive in Ukraine.
In a separate report, KCNA said Kim Jong Un visited the Russian embassy in Pyongyang on Friday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat by the Soviet Union, praising the long-standing strategic ties between the two nations.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday’s launches involved multiple missiles of various types fired between 8:10 and 9:20 a.m. from an area near the eastern port city of Wonsan. The longest-reaching projectile flew about 800 kilometers (497 miles).
It was the North’s first known missile test since March 10, when it fired several ballistic missiles just hours after the start of annual joint military drills between U.S. and South Korean forces. It also marked the sixth such launch this year.
The exercise came amid reports that Kim recently urged weapons industry workers to boost artillery shell production as military ties with Russia deepen.
