Kim Jong Un supervised the test launch of 12 multiple rocket launchers on Saturday as North Korea carried out fresh weapons drills amid rising tensions with South Korea and the United States.
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According to the state news agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the weapons tested were 600mm-calibre multiple rocket launchers capable of striking targets within a 420-kilometre range.
Images released by KCNA showed Kim observing the launch alongside his daughter Kim Ju Ae, who is widely viewed by analysts as a potential future successor.
KCNA reported that the rockets successfully struck an island target in the East Sea, located about 364 kilometres away, claiming 100 percent accuracy during the exercise.
South Korea’s military said separately that the North fired more than 10 ballistic missiles toward waters off its east coast. The launches reportedly took place near the capital Pyongyang at around 1:20 p.m. local time and traveled roughly 350 kilometres before landing in the sea.
The latest launches come after the United States and South Korea began their annual joint military drills this week, exercises that Kim Yo Jong — sister of the North Korean leader — described as a “provocative and aggressive war rehearsal.”
Washington and Seoul have repeatedly said the drills are defensive and intended to strengthen readiness against potential threats from Pyongyang.
North Korea has conducted numerous missile tests over the past two decades as part of efforts to develop systems capable of delivering nuclear weapons. These actions have led to several sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council since 2006.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts continue behind the scenes. Kim Min-seok, South Korea’s prime minister, met Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. earlier this week to discuss possible ways to reopen dialogue with North Korea.
Trump has previously expressed interest in meeting Kim Jong Un again as part of efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
