On Friday, North Korea state media reported that Kim Jong-un oversaw a fire assault drill and ordered the military to prepare for a real war . The drill demonstrated the country’s capability to counter an “actual war.” On Thursday, South Korea’s military confirmed that North Korea had launched a short-range ballistic missile off its west coast and was analyzing the possibility that the North may have launched multiple missiles simultaneously from the same area. At least six missiles being fired at the same time were shown in photos released by North Korea’s KCNA news agency. KCNA said that a unit trained for “strike missions” fired a “powerful volley at the targeted waters” and demonstrated its ability to “counter an actual war.”
According to KCNA, Kim emphasized that the fire assault subunits must be prepared with utmost perfection to carry out two strategic missions: deterring war and taking the initiative in war. To achieve this, he instructed the military to continuously intensify various simulated drills for a real war.
Kim was accompanied by his young daughter who has appeared recently in a series of major events.
The latest missile launches came as the United States and South Korea were set to kick off large-scale military exercises known as the Freedom Shield drills next week. North Korea has long bristled at the allies’ drills as a rehearsal for invasion.
North Korean leader Kim’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, said earlier this week any move to shoot down one of its test missiles would be considered a declaration of war and blamed a joint military exercise between the US and South Korea for growing tensions.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said the latest launch posed no threat to the US or its allies but Pyongyang’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes have a destabilising effect on the region.
The US will hold an informal meeting of United Nations Security Council members next week on human rights abuses in North Korea, a move likely to anger Pyongyang and spur opposition from China and Russia.