North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un warned Thursday that his troops are ready for real battle, a day after the nation's latest missile launch.
North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) cited Kim Jong Un's remarks that his "nuclear combat forces" showcased their "full preparedness for actual war to bring the enemies under their control."
Kim reportedly supervised the Wednesday test of long-range cruise missiles across waters west of the Korean Peninsula, per KCNA, which led to his heated speech--his first regarding North Korea's weapons program in recent months, according to CNN.
The North Korean state media finally broke its six months of silence about the latest round of missile launches on Monday, which were part of a series of practice firings meant to show Pyongyang's preparedness to launch tactical nuclear warheads at prospective targets in South Korea.
KCNA stated recent North Korea missile tests demonstrated its forces were "ready to hit and wipe out" the designated targets at the specified moment.
North Korea launched two cruise missiles over the West Sea, also known as the Yellow Sea, around 2 a.m. local time on Wednesday, according to Kim Jun-rak, a spokeswoman for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The US Indo-Pacific Command did not react to Wednesday's alleged test.
According to the KCNA report, the cruise missiles tested on Wednesday followed oval and figure-8 trajectories for about three hours above the sea before striking their target.
A Clear Warning For Pyongyang's Rivals
Kim Jong-un stated that the recent North Korea missile tests are a "clear warning" to North Korea's adversaries and a showcase of the "absolute reliability" of his country's military power. He also called for the continued expansion of the nuclear weapons program to decisively deter any major military crisis or war catastrophe at any time, The Japan Times reported.
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The cruise missiles tested on Wednesday do not re-enter the atmosphere after leaving it, as do ballistic missiles. Jet engines power cruise missiles, making them more agile than ballistic missiles thanks to their continual propellants. However, cruise missiles are often slower than their ballistic counterparts.
UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, but they have not yet extended to the country's new cruise missile program.
North Korea's Increased Weapons Testing Calls for Swift Action
This year, North Korea has conducted more nuclear and missile tests than ever before. The newest evidence that Pyongyang is preparing for its first atomic test since 2017 is a flurry of missile launches, including one new type of ballistic missile that flew over Japan on October 4, per NHK.
Professor Leif-Eric Easly of Ewha University in Seoul commented that it would be a mistake to brush off North Korea nuclear weapons testing frenzy as mere saber-rattling, Al Jazeera reported.
He noted that North Korea's threats are "a chronic and worsening" peace and stability issue in Asia, hence it "must not be ignored." The professor also called on South Korea, Japan, and the United States to boost "international cooperation on military deterrence and economic sanctions" to address the problem.
