North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from a naval vessel, as reported by state media on Monday. This event coincided with the initiation of major annual military exercises by the United States and South Korea, exercises that North Korea perceives as a rehearsal for an invasion.
The North's announcement of its missile tests followed a trilateral summit among the leaders of the US, South Korea, and Japan, where they agreed to enhance cooperation on ballistic missile defense to counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile capabilities.
During a visit to an unspecified naval fleet stationed on the eastern coast, Kim personally boarded a patrol ship to assess its weaponry and combat preparedness, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Subsequently, he observed the ship's crew conducting a drill involving the launch of "strategic" cruise missiles, a term suggesting the weapons were designed to carry nuclear warheads.
A photograph released by state media depicted Kim observing a missile in flight from a location separate from the ship itself. The Korean Central News Agency stated that the missiles successfully hit designated targets, showcasing the ship's operational readiness and offensive capabilities.
Kim emphasized his intention to strengthen the North's navy by advancing the development of formidable warships and modernizing both shipborne and underwater weapon systems. He urged the nation's sailors to cultivate "overwhelming ideological and spiritual strength," which he deemed more significant than mere numerical or technical superiority in weaponry.
In response, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a statement questioning the accuracy of North Korea's report on its cruise missile tests, deeming it an exaggeration and inconsistent with the actual facts. The South Korean military affirmed its preparedness to decisively counter potential provocations from the North.
As anticipated, North Korea's response to the US-South Korean military exercises, which began on Monday and are set to last for eleven days, included these missile tests. The exercises, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, primarily involve computer-simulated command post exercises, but also encompass large-scale field drills.
Historically, North Korea has criticized major joint US-South Korean drills as rehearsals for an invasion and has responded with missile tests. US and South Korean officials assert that these exercises are defensive in nature and are not intended to provoke North Korea.
Since the outset of 2022, North Korea has conducted over 100 weapons tests, including those involving nuclear-capable ballistic missiles designed to target the US mainland, South Korea, and Japan. In response, the US and South Korea have escalated their regular training exercises.
Following their summit at Camp David, President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida disclosed their plan to establish real-time missile warning data sharing on North Korea by year's end, along with annual trilateral exercises. They also unveiled the creation of a working group to enhance cooperation in countering North Korean cyber threats and its evasion of sanctions through cyber means. Additionally, the leaders announced intentions to set up a hotline for discussions on responses to threats.
North Korea contends that the security cooperation efforts among these three nations are compelling them to fortify their own military capabilities.
South Korea's intelligence agency informed lawmakers that North Korea was taking measures necessary for the launch of long-range missiles and the potential launch of a spy satellite into orbit. The North's previous attempt to launch a spy satellite in late May ended in failure, with the rocket carrying the satellite plummeting into the ocean shortly after liftoff.