North Korea claims that its latest missile bombardment was a “simulation” of a nuclear attack against the South.
Intelligence indicates that North Korea is poised to conduct its first nuclear test in five years.
In reaction to the recent US and South Korean drills, Pyongyang has launched seven groups of missiles during the past few weeks.
On Monday, state media aired detailed reports suggesting that the missiles were designed to carry nuclear tactical warheads.
These are small, close-range weaponry designed for use in combat. According to them, the military practiced loading the missiles with replicas of these miniaturized warheads.
In addition, they claimed to have successfully simulated striking South Korea’s military bases, ports, and airports and stated that the launches served as a warning to the United States and South Korea.
State news agency KNCA published photographs of Chairman Kim Jong-un “leading” and overseeing the tests.
US and South Korean intelligence authorities have speculated that North Korea may conduct its first nuclear test since 2017 soon.
Experts believe it might also use the chance to detonate for the first time a tactical device of a size that would fit within the missiles it has been testing.
Kim Jong-un declared North Korea an “irreversible” nuclear power and amended its regulations to permit the preemptive use of nuclear weapons. Before this, its doctrine was to only employ such weapons in reaction to an assault.
It has also significantly increased its missile launches this year, launching nearly 40 missiles so far – its highest total ever.
The majority of missiles launched during the past two weeks have landed in the sea between North Korea and Japan.
Tuesday, North Korea also launched a longer-range missile over Japan, which analysts believe is a new intermediate-range ballistic missile based on the design of the weapon.
The North has tested missiles this year from a variety of launch sites, including trains and convoys – platforms that would make it more difficult to destroy the weapons in an attack, according to analysts.
They also highlighted that state media sources on Monday referred to the recent launches as “tactical nuclear operations units” rather than merely missile tests, suggesting that North Korea has now devised a method for deploying smaller, shorter-range nuclear warheads.
The 25 September-9 October barrage was a response to the United States deployment of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to waters off the Korean peninsula and to joint exercises with Seoul and Tokyo.
The acceleration represents a substantial departure from Pyongyang’s pursuit of denuclearization talks with then-US President Donald Trump in 2018 and 2019.
North Korea, according to analysts, is also responding to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was elected in May and has sought a more hawkish attitude toward the North and stronger ties with the United States.
