North Korea tested cruise missiles into the sea on Friday. In 2024, it was the North's fourth cruise missile test cycle. The tests took place just hours after the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, visited a shipyard in Nampho, on the west coast, to oversee certain naval projects, according to the news agency AP.
The military of South Korea reported that it had seen several missiles, although it did not immediately state how many or what kind of flight characteristics they were. The US and South Korean forces are reportedly examining the North Korean missile launches into its western sea, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Tensions between the US, Japan, and South Korea have been present during the launches. Kim has made a point of highlighting the North's efforts to develop a nuclear-armed navy in recent months.
⚡️🇰🇵 North Korea launches several cruise missiles, west of the coast, as a show of force. pic.twitter.com/AFnxLRTpJ9— Abu Savage (@SamiXSavage) January 30, 2024
South Korea vs North Korea
North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Kim as saying that boosting his naval force "presents itself as the most important issue in reliably defending the country's maritime sovereignty and stepping up war preparations." The nature of the warships being constructed in Nampho was not disclosed by KCNA, but it was stated that they were part of a five-year plan for military growth that was decided upon at an early 2021 governing party session. During the 2021 sessions, Kim disclosed a long list of desired cutting-edge military hardware, including submarines with nuclear propulsion and underwater-deployed nuclear missiles.
During his inspections in Nampho, Kim assessed the status of his naval projects and the outstanding technological obstacles. He gave officials and laborers an order to "unconditionally" finish the project by the plan's 2025 deadline.
According to Kim Inae, a spokesman for South Korea's Unification Ministry, "North Korea is trying to create a sense of insecurity among South Korean people by making military threats routine to undermine trust in their government and to attract international attention to build an atmosphere in which its demands must be accepted to resolve the Korean Peninsula crisis."
Image Source: Al Jazeera
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