North Korea, under the personal leadership of the head of state, Kim Jong-un, conducted tests of long-range strategic cruise missiles.
The Japan Times writes about it.
The Korean Central News Agency stated the test launches were aimed at "further enhancing the combat capability and power of long-range strategic cruise missiles deployed for units of the Korean Peopleʼs Army to use tactical nuclear weapons."
The two missiles flew for 10 234 seconds, or almost three hours, in an oval and figure-of-eight pattern in the sky over the Yellow Sea, before hitting targets 2 000 kilometers away. Such a distance meant that all of Japan was available for attack.
The Japan Times writes that North Koreaʼs statement hinted that the missiles are capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Using the term "strategic" to describe the weapon is a common euphemism for the ability to carry such warheads.
North Korean leader Kim has already "expressed great satisfaction with the result of the test launch." He praised the "high response capabilities of its nuclear combat forces" and said the tests proved "the full readiness of the armed forces for real war." Also, according to Kim Jong Un, North Korea should continue to expand the scope of nuclear strategic armed forces "to resolutely deter any critical military crisis."
North Korea conducted a record number of weapons tests this year. It recently tested "one of the new weapons" that flew over Japan and simulated strikes using tactical nuclear warheads. After that, North Korea announced that they had simulated nuclear strikes on South Korea. Pyongyang explained the launches as a "war deterrence message" after large-scale exercises between the navies of South Korea and the United States. North Korean propaganda said the tests simulated strikes on military facilities, ports and airports in the south.
- On August 22, South Korea and the United States began their largest military exercises in recent years. Their goal was to prepare for new missile tests by North Korea. After that, North Koreaʼs nuclear tactical operational units began to launch missiles.