North Korea Conducts Firing Drills
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw firing drills involving “newly equipped, super-large” multiple rocket launchers, state media said on Tuesday, a day after Seoul said Pyongyang had fired several short-range ballistic missiles.
Joint Military Exercises
The United States and South Korea wrapped up one of their major annual joint military exercises last week, prompting angry retorts and live-fire drills from the nuclear-armed North, which condemns all such exercises as rehearsals for invasion.
Recent Missile Launch
Seoul’s military said on Monday it had detected the launch of “multiple short-range ballistic missiles” by the North, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the South Korean capital for talks.
Drill Details
Pyongyang’s Western Region Artillery Unit’s ultra-large rocket salvo firing drill commenced at an unconfirmed location in North Korea on Monday, March 18, 2024.
Weapon Information
The super-large multiple rocket launcher, referred to as KN-25 by Seoul and Washington’s forces, is a short-range ballistic missile, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported. The North has claimed the weapon has the capability to be equipped with a tactical nuclear warhead.
Kim Jong Un’s Guidance
Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim guided the drills on Monday that tested the “real war capabilities” of 600-millimeter multiple rocket launchers as he stressed the importance of “war preparations.”
Drill Outcomes
The drills also involved simulating an aerial explosion of a shell from the super-large multiple rocket launcher at a predetermined altitude above the target, the state-run outlet added.
Kim’s Statement
Kim said the multiple rocket launcher would help the North “block and suppress the possibility of war with the constant perfect preparedness to collapse the capital of the enemy,” the KCNA report said.
Artillery Demonstration
During the drills, North Korean artillerymen “demonstrated their excellent crack-shot artillery marksmanship, and prompt and thorough combat readiness,” it added.
State Media Description
“Massive shells of super-large multiple rocket launchers, which were fired from the sharp gun barrels like lava, flew to the target with the flame of annihilating the enemy,” it said.
Recent Developments
North Korea this month warned that the South and US would pay a “dear price” over their military exercises and later announced that Kim had guided an artillery unit it said was capable of striking Seoul.