North Korean state media claimed Thursday that dictatorial leader Kim Jong Un had successfully overseen the test of a new “tactical ballistic missile” capable of carrying a “super-large” warhead.
The test is the latest in a series of increasingly belligerent and frequent actions aimed at intimidating rivals South Korea and the U.S. In the past month, North Korea has sent dozens of garbage-laden balloons into South Korea and, in an unprecedented move, released photos of what it claims is a uranium enrichment facility aimed at helping Kim Jong Un's regime “exponentially” increase the number of nuclear weapons in its arsenal.
Kim Jong Un also unveiled a suicide drone and what he claimed was an “underwater nuclear weapons system” last year.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the flagship state media outlet of the North Korean Communist regime, Explained The missile reportedly tested on Thursday is being called the “Hwasong-11-4.5,” in addition to testing an “improved strategic cruise missile.”
“The new tactical ballistic missile is equipped with a 4.5-ton super-large conventional warhead as designed,” the Korean Central News Agency claimed. “The test launch was aimed at verifying the targeting accuracy at a medium distance of 320 kilometers.” [about 199 miles] The power of a super-large warhead and the explosive force of a missile carrying such a warhead.”
The test was said to be successful, and Kim said he was “very satisfied” with the results.
“Our military superiority, once again proven today, is enough to judge the speed of development of the military power of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,” he said,” according to the Korean Central News Agency. “He stressed the need to continue strengthening nuclear capabilities and have the strongest military technological capabilities and overwhelming offensive power in the field of conventional weapons as well.”
South Korean military Confirmed North Korea monitored ballistic and cruise missile launches north of Pyongyang on Thursday morning, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, but gave few details about the intelligence it had gathered. attention “The super-large warhead is included in the list of high-tech weapons that Kim Jong Un has vowed to develop at the 2021 Party Congress,” he said, checking off one of several items on Kim's list of advanced weapons.
Koreans are currently celebrating the Chuseok holiday, which marks the end of summer and the harvest season. Korea JoongAng Ilbo Observed North Korea reported Thursday that Kim Jong Un had stepped up his belligerent behavior ahead of the national holiday, again dropping an estimated 160 balloons filled with garbage on South Korean territory.
“So far, about 30 fallen objects have been confirmed in northern Gyeonggi Province and Seoul,” South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement on Thursday. “The confirmed objects include household waste such as paper, plastic and plastic bottles, and analysis has shown that none of them pose a safety risk.”
North Korea regularly attacks South Korea with balloons carrying garbage, excrement, and other undesirable materials as a means of humiliation. The garbage balloon attacks intensified in May, when hundreds of balloons were dropped, prompting the South Korean government to reinstall loudspeakers on the North-South border to broadcast anti-communist material and South Korean pop music into North Korea. North Korea, a repressive communist state, forbids its citizens from watching foreign media, but particularly severely punishes the viewing of South Korean television, movies, and music. It also actively prevents its citizens from getting news from the outside world and is infuriated by South Korea's attempts to keep its citizens informed.
As for missiles, Central News The paper noted that the first test launch of the Hwasong-11 type-4.5 ballistic missile in July was believed to have failed, suggesting that the North Korean military is rapidly improving its technology.
The paper also Suggested By launching ballistic and cruise missiles simultaneously, North Korea “could confuse interception and tracking networks and confound the initial analysis of South Korean and U.S. authorities,” it said.
“Cruise missiles have a maximum speed below the speed of sound, making them slower and less destructive than ballistic missiles,” the paper explained, “but they fly at the lowest possible altitude to avoid radar screens, so additional surveillance and reconnaissance assets, such as satellites, are needed to track them.”
The missile test followed North Korea's decision a week ago to release photos of what it said was a uranium enrichment facility and claim that Kim Jong Un had inspected it to ensure it was operating at a high enough rate to “exponentially” increase the number of nuclear warheads.
“[Kim] “He stressed the need to set higher long-term targets for the production of nuclear materials needed to build tactical nuclear weapons,” the Korean Central News Agency said. Relayed “We will make every effort to achieve a new leap forward and set important goals and directions,” the prime minister said at the time.
Kim Jong Un announced plans to “exponentially” increase the size of his nuclear arsenal in January 2023. A June report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimated that North Korea would have 50 nuclear warheads as of 2024, 20 more than in 2023.
