North Korea tests ‘nuclear trigger’ missile system, according to state media
Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, has personally overseen the first drill of his regime’s “nuclear trigger” management system, state media said on Tuesday.
The tactical exercise simulated a nuclear counterattack, with “super-large” multiple-rocket launchers aimed at the country’s enemies, the Korean Central News Agency reported.
The reports follow a salvo of short-range ballistic missiles that were test-fired on Monday from a region near Pyongyang towards the sea off the east coast, adding to recent tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The drill was a “clear warning signal” to North Korea’s enemies for actions of an “extremely provocative and aggressive nature”, the state newswire added.
Recent air drills by the United States and South Korea have “incited an extreme war fever”, the North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun said, according to Seoul-based NK News.
Mr Kim, who supervised the manoeuvring of troops and the firing of artillery with mock nuclear warheads, praised the readiness of the “world’s best” tactical nuclear weapons.
Pyongyang has claimed some of its artillery systems, including the 600mm (24in) multiple rocket launchers tested on Monday, are capable of delivering tactical nuclear warheads.
North Korea said the nuclear trigger, known as “Haekbangashoe” in Korean, demonstrated the strength and diverse nature of its nuclear forces.
State media photos showed at least four rockets being fired from launch vehicles, as Mr Kim looked on from an observation post.
The rockets reportedly flew 218 miles before directly striking an island target, prompting Mr Kim to boast they were as accurate as a “sniper’s rifle”.
He said the drill was crucial for “deterring a war and taking the initiative in a war in any time and any sudden situation”. Pyongyang’s nuclear doctrine allows for pre-emptive nuclear strikes against enemies if if perceives its leadership to be under threat.
“North Korea is all-in on rapid weapons development, not just for military advantage, but also for the Kim regime’s techno-nationalist political legitimacy,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
He added: “Broader international cooperation is urgently needed across the European and Asian theatres to tighten sanctions and reinforce deterrence.”
