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north korea China said on Monday it launched a long-range strategic cruise missile into the sea to Testing the nation’s nuclear deterrenceA few days ago, China made significant progress in the construction of its first nuclear-powered submarine.
The missile launch took place Sunday off the country’s west coast in the presence of leader Kim Jong Un, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
According to the report, Kim Jong-un expressed “very satisfaction” with the launch and pointed out that testing the reliability of North Korea’s nuclear deterrence and demonstrating its power “is just a responsible exercise of the right of self-defense and war deterrence in the face of external security threats.”
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said several cruise missiles were launched from the North Korean capital area on Sunday morning. The report stated that South Korea stands ready to repel any potential provocation from North Korea through its alliance with the United States.
A U.N. Security Council resolution bans North Korea from launching missiles involving its large stockpile of ballistic missiles. Its cruise missile tests have not been banned, but they still pose a threat to the United States and South Korea because they are highly maneuverable and fly low to avoid radar detection.
Analysts say North Korea aims to use cruise missiles to attack U.S. warships and aircraft carriers in the event of a conflict.
Sunday’s launch was North Korea’s latest weapons display. Last week, the country test-fired a new anti-aircraft missile off its east coast and showed photos of the largely completed hull of a nuclear-powered submarine it is developing. North Korea has hinted that it will equip the submarine with nuclear missiles.
Kim Jong Un has vowed to introduce a range of advanced weapons systems, including a nuclear-powered submarine, to counter what he calls U.S.-led security threats.
Some experts say North Korea’s recent alliance with RussiaIncluding sending troops and military equipment to assist Ukraine’s war effort, which may help it obtain key technologies in return.
Observers say North Korea is likely to further increase weapons demonstrations ahead of the ruling Workers’ Party congress early next year.
Since Kim Jong Un engaged in high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with the U.S. president, North Korea has focused on weapons testing activities to expand its nuclear arsenal Donald Trump 2019 fell apart.
But Kim said in September that he might return to talks if the United States gave up on North Korea’s “delusions about denuclearization” in an apparent response to Trump’s repeated contacts.
Experts say Kim Jong Un may believe that an expanded nuclear arsenal will give him greater leverage to win concessions in potential negotiations with Trump.