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SEOUL – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday inspected the test-firing of long-range surface-to-air missiles at a launch site near its east coast, state media KCNA reported on Thursday.
KCNA said the test was aimed at assessing the nuclear-armed country’s strategic technology to develop a new type of high-altitude missile that destroyed air-to-air targets from up to 200 km away.
KCNA said Kim also watched construction work at a separate site on an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine capable of launching surface-to-air missiles. It did not identify the location or date of his visit.
KCNA said the submarine project is part of the North Korean ruling party’s effort to modernize the country’s navy, one of five key policies the party is pushing to develop its defense capabilities.
Kim was quoted as saying that the all-round development of nuclear capabilities and the modernization of the navy are necessary and inevitable, while “the current world is by no means peaceful”.
Kim also said that South Korea’s plan to develop nuclear submarines agreed with Washington will further escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula and pose a national security threat that requires them to take action.
In a separate statement, North Korean state media criticized the recent entry of a US nuclear-powered submarine into a South Korean port, calling it an “act of escalating military tensions” on the Korean peninsula and the region.
On Tuesday, the nuclear-powered submarine USS Greenville arrived at the port of Busan for crew discharge and loading of supplies, the South Korean navy said.
North Korea also said earlier this week that Japan was showing its intention to possess nuclear weapons, encouraged by South Korea’s steps to develop nuclear submarines.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
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