North Korea conducted a missile launch in Pyongyang, striking targets in the East Sea, with leader Kim Jong-un present. The Korean Central News Agency reported that the missile drill aimed to assess the country’s war deterrence and weapon system readiness. South Korea’s military detected the launch early Sunday, preceding President Lee Jae Myung’s departure for summit talks in Beijing.
Kim Jong-un praised the drill, emphasizing the importance of national defense technology tasks. He highlighted the readiness of North Korea’s nuclear forces and emphasized the need for continuous military upgrades. The leader stressed the significance of offensive weapon systems for self-defense and enhancing the nuclear war deterrent.
Kim expressed gratitude to the military unit responsible for the drill and extended New Year’s greetings to the missile forces. The hypersonic missiles, launched from Pyongyang’s Ryokpho District, successfully hit targets 1,000 kilometers away in the East Sea. The report did not specify the missile type, but it is speculated to be the Hwasong-11Ma, a hypersonic missile developed from the KN-23 missile.
Kim urged the missile forces to remain committed to their mission of defending North Korea’s sovereignty and security. The latest missile launch attendees included key officials like Kim Jong-sik and Jang Chang-ha. The Korea Defence Forum suggested that the recent test aimed to evaluate the missile’s range and low-altitude glide capability, following last year’s precision and flight verification test.
