Kim Jong-un. Photo: STR / AFP
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally supervised the launch of strategic cruise missiles and called for full combat readiness of the country’s nuclear forces. According to him, this is the most effective guarantee of the DPRK’s defence.
According to the state-run KCNA news agency, the missile test was intended to “warn enemies who seriously undermine the country’s security environment and escalate confrontation” and demonstrate Pyongyang’s readiness to use nuclear weapons.
“Strong striking power guarantees the best protection and deterrence,” Kim Jong-un said, stressing that the DPRK army must be ready to defend the state’s sovereignty with a “reliable nuclear shield”.
The missile launch took place on Wednesday morning over the sea off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. South Korea’s armed forces confirmed that they detected the launches and tracked several cruise missiles in flight.
For several years now, Pyongyang has been developing strategic cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. They are less internationally condemned than ballistic missiles because they are not subject to UN Security Council sanctions, which have banned the DPRK from developing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.
The test launches took place against the backdrop of Kim’s visits to military academies, where he called on future officers to be ideologically and tactically prepared.
Meanwhile, in the United States, President Donald Trump said he was ready to resume contact with Kim Jong Un. They had previously held a series of unprecedented meetings during Trump’s first presidential term.
