North Korea announced that it conducted a strategic cruise missile launch exercise in the Yellow Sea on Wednesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally observed the launch, emphasizing the importance of nuclear deterrence.
On Friday, the ruling party’s newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported that the purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate the Korean People’s Army’s counterattack capabilities and readiness of various nuclear operational means to adversaries who are severely undermining the nation’s security environment and escalating confrontational conditions. It also aimed to showcase the credibility of the national nuclear deterrent and train missile units for sudden firepower missions.
During the exercise, the strategic cruise missiles flew along an elliptical trajectory for 2 hours and 12 minutes. The missiles traveled 1,587 kilometers (approximately 986 miles) before accurately hitting their targets.
Kim expressed satisfaction with the results, stating, “Continuously testing the reliability and operational capability of our nuclear deterrent components and demonstrating their power is a responsible exercise of war deterrence.”
He further emphasized the role of offensive strength in national defense, declaring, “Strong offensive capabilities guarantee the most complete deterrence and defense. It is the responsible mission and duty of our nation’s nuclear forces to permanently safeguard our sovereignty and security with a reliable nuclear shield by maintaining a more thorough combat readiness and being fully prepared for the use of these forces.”
Senior officials, including party committee member Kim Jong Sik and Missile Bureau director Jang Chang Ha, accompanied Kim to the test site.