North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected tests of a “special mission” warhead for a tactical ballistic missile, state media KCNA reported on Friday, as Pyongyang pushes for an “aggressive posture” along its border with South Korea.
Monitoring “major weapons” tests, Kim said North Korea’s self-defense policy includes “strengthening lethal and destructive offensive posture so that no enemy dares to counter,” according to KCNA.
The tests were held on the anniversary of the start of the 1950–53 Korean War.
‘Demonstration of strength against South Korea’
KCNA reports that the tests included:
- An advanced 240-mm multiple rocket launcher with a range of up to 90 km (56 mi)
- A tactical ballistic missile equipped with a “special mission” warhead, designed to attack strategic targets including airfields, ports, and power facilities, and
- 155 mm self-propelled howitzer with extended range shells
Kim said the tests demonstrated progress in strengthening North Korea’s firepower along the southern border, referring to possible targets including US military bases in South Korea, KCNA reported.
Analyst Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies, told AFP news agency that the details provided by Pyongyang were a “show of force against the South Korean capital region.”
Pyongyang pursues ‘ultra-precise’ weapons
Pyongyang is emphasizing automation, long-range capability and “ultra-precision” in its weapons programs. The latest tests come just days after North Korea launched its first 5,000-ton destroyer, Choe Hyon, on Tuesday.
The North Korean leader has called for expanding the country’s nuclear and military capabilities amid the failure of US President Donald Trump’s diplomatic efforts in 2019.
Kim has said diplomatic efforts can resume only if the US drops its demand for North Korea’s denuclearization.
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Edited by: Shawn Sinico