North Korea: Kim Jong Un surveys cruise missile tests (PICS)
Monday, 21 August 2023 (11:30 IST)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watched the test-firing of strategic cruise missiles, state media KCNA reported on Monday.
Kim visited a navy flotilla deployed in the East Sea and oversaw the drill launches of the "strategic cruise missiles" from a patrol ship he was onboard.
The drill launches "aimed to reconfirm the combat function of the ship and the feature of its missile system and make the seamen skilled at carrying out the attack mission in actual war," the report said.
#NorthKorea's Kim Jong Un inspects the country's latest naval corvette for the first time publicly & watches a cruise missile launch demonstration from the ship. pic.twitter.com/ijpXJrAVcV
The report did not specify the kind of missile technology or the timing of the test-launches but said the missiles "rapidly hit targets without even an error."
However, Seoul has dismissed the report saying it was "exaggerated and contained many discrepancies from the truth."
Simmering tensions in Korean peninsula
The report about North Korea's test-firing of the missiles came three days after the US, South Korea and Japan held their first stand-alone trilateral summit wherein they decided they will work together to tackle North Korea's growing nuclear threat.
The timing of the report also coincided with the US and South Korea joint military exercises that began on Monday and will last until August 31.
Pyongyang has condemned the joint drills as a "rehearsal to launch an invasion."
South Korea has said this year's exercises will be held on the "largest scale ever," that will see mobilization of tens of thousands of troops from both sides and will have some member states of the UN Command in attendance.
Seoul fears that Pyongyang might take military actions to deter the joint drills. Some analysts have also said the North Korean missiles could be loaded with nuclear bombs.
