According to local media, North Korea’s missile test on Monday was actually a drill to test its nuclear readiness.
The incident sparked alarm around the region after several short-range ballistic missiles were launched near Pyongyang, flew about 185 miles and landed in waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan.
However, according to North Korea, the main purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate the “reliability, superiority, power and diverse The aim was to demonstrate the means. times.
The hekbangashe system, which means “nuclear trigger,” included the maneuvering of troops into a “counterattack posture” aimed at “substantially enhancing the rapid counterattack capability of the national nuclear force.”
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North Korea fired missiles from at least four rockets, delivering one salvo to the island within a range of 220 miles. Reported by the US Naval Research Institute.
This photo provided by the North Korean government shows a rocket drill simulating a nuclear counterattack against an enemy at an undisclosed location in North Korea on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Agency, Associated Press)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly oversaw the exercise. The training took place as the United States and South Korea began joint formation training at Gunsan Air Base. The training began on April 12th and is scheduled to end on April 26th. He reportedly likened the weapon system to: “Sniper rifle fire.”
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said reports of such accuracy and capabilities of the weapons systems were likely exaggerated and maintained that the South Korean military could detect and intercept any weapon.
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To counter North Korea’s aggressive pursuit of nuclear preparedness, Washington, Tokyo and South Korea have agreed to a real-time missile data sharing system that will allow the three countries to monitor North Korea’s launches. According to Newsweek magazine.
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the launches “posed no imminent threat to U.S. personnel, territory, or allies,” instead emphasizing the “destabilizing impact of North Korea’s illicit weapons program.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is visiting a military university in Pyongyang, North Korea. This photo was released by the United Nations on April 11, 2024. (via Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, Reuters)
Local media accused the two allies of inciting “war fever” in the region and creating a “competition” against the Hermit Kingdom, which has an “extremely provocative and aggressive nature.”
“This event will highlight the South Korea-U.S. alliance by demonstrating lethality in the air domain and strengthening our ability to deter, defend, and defeat any adversary,” the U.S. Air Force said in a press release.
Ambassador says US will monitor North Korea’s nuclear weapons with or without the UN
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile, which flew 155 miles at a maximum altitude of about 30 miles. He also said that missile tests threaten the peace and security of Japan, the region, and the international community.
Han Dong-hoon, leader of South Korea’s ruling People’s Power Party, gestures during a press conference at party headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young Jun)
According to the newspaper, North Korea will declare itself an “irreversible” nuclear-weapon state in 2022, a principle that would authorize the military to launch a first nuclear strike if the country’s leadership believes it is under threat. It was adopted. arms control association.
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Mr. Kim declared that he would not give up any nuclear weapons or engage in any denuclearization negotiations, confirming long-held suspicions by many experts and leaders.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
