North Korea said yesterday it had tested a new nuclear weapons control system that launched projectiles simulating nuclear warheads from multiple-launch systems.
What is known about the new nuclear tests of North Korea
CNN, referring to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), writes that leader Kim Jong-un led the exercises.
North Korean state media photos show four missile launches. The missiles are said to have hit targets on an island 352 kilometres from the country.
Kim said the exercises helped prepare North Korea's nuclear forces for "their important mission of deterring war and taking the initiative in war."
The exercise, which simulated a nuclear counterattack, followed an "extremely provocative and aggressive" annual joint air force exercise by the US and South Korea.
Analysts believe North Korea has previously tested both the missile system and a simulated nuclear counterattack. Still, KCNA said Monday's exercise was the first use of the Haekbangashoe command and control system or nucelar trigger.
Weapons testing in North Korea
In recent months, the Kim regime has tested several weapons:
Long-range artillery that can reach the capital of South Korea, Seoul,
a hypersonic glider that could theoretically carry a warhead past the air defence systems of South Korea and the United States,
an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland.
Since conducting its first nuclear test more than a decade ago, North Korea has expanded its weapons capabilities.
They want to reduce the size of the warhead so that it can be placed on a long-range missile.
In 2022, Kim promised to develop nuclear weapons at the "highest possible" rate, passing a new law declaring North Korea a nuclear power.
