North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of the country's "super-large" multiple rocket launcher to simulate a nuclear counterattack on enemy targets, further escalating tensions in the region, especially with South Korea and the United States, the Associated Press said Tuesday.
It is reported that the launches, detected by the South Korean and Japanese military, involve the launch of multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the East China Sea from the area near Pyongyang.
Analysts note that North Korea has blurred the line between conventional artillery systems and ballistic missiles with large rocket artillery because of their ability to create their own thrust and be guided during the drop.
Some systems, such as the 600-millimeter multiple rocket launcher tested in this exercise, are said to be capable of delivering tactical nuclear warheads.
The launches marked the debut of the North's nuclear weapons management and control system, the Haekbangashoe, or "nuclear trigger," according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim Jong-un personally supervised the exercise from an observation point and expressed satisfaction with the accuracy of the rocket launcher, likening it to a "sniper's rifle." The exercises are designed to demonstrate the strength and diversity of North Korea's nuclear forces while countering escalating tensions with the United States and South Korea.
State media photos show Kim Jong-un watching at least four rockets fired from the launch vehicle at an observation post. The rocket flew 352 kilometers (218 miles) to accurately hit the island target, and the exercise verified the reliability of "the command, management, control and operating system of the entire nuclear force," the statement said.
The weapon fired on Monday flew about 300 kilometers (185 miles) before crashing into the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, a range that suggests the intended target could be inside South Korea, according to South Korea's Joint Staff Headquarters. The launches coincided with a two-week joint air exercise conducted by South Korea and the United States aimed at enhancing its ability to counter the North Korean threat.
Asked about North Korea's claims, Lee Sung-joon, a spokesman for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it was unclear whether North Korea had perfected the design of a small battlefield nuclear weapon that could be mounted on its rockets. He insisted that North Korea may have exaggerated the accuracy of its multiple launch rocket systems and that South Korea would be able to detect and intercept such weapons, without elaborating on specific missile defense capabilities.
Lee said it is possible that North Korea could use the exercise to test multiple rocket launchers it may plan to export to Russia as the two countries expand their military cooperation in the face of their respective intensifying confrontations with the United States. The United States and South Korea have accused North Korea of transferring artillery shells, missiles and other ammunition to Russia to help expand its war in Ukraine.
In response to North Korea's evolving nuclear threat, the United States and South Korea have stepped up bilateral military exercises and trilateral exercises with Japan. They are also building a nuclear deterrence strategy around strategic U.S. assets.
At the same time, North Korea's accelerated pace of weapons testing underscores its commitment to expanding its military capabilities, even as diplomatic efforts with the United States and South Korea remain stalled.
A few days ago, North Korea announced last Saturday that it had earlier tested a "super-large" cruise missile warhead and a new anti-aircraft missile along the western coast. In early April, North Korea also test-fired a solid-fuel medium-range missile with hypersonic warhead capability, which experts say is designed to attack long-range targets in the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and beyond.