North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed the test-firing of strategic cruise missiles, state media reported Monday, as the U.S. and South Korean militaries kicked off major annual drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal.
The North’s report on missile tests came three days after the leaders of the U.S., South Korea and Japan held their first stand-alone trilateral summit and agreed to increase their cooperation on their ballistic missile defenses to counter North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.
Kim said he would bolster efforts to build powerful warships and modernize shipboard and underwater weapons systems for the North’s navy. He called for the country’s sailors to build “overwhelming ideological and spiritual strength,” saying that is more important than numerical or technical superiority of weapons, according to KCNA.
“North Korea’s naval cruise missile may appear technologically behind but is still a real threat,” Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. “The latest test shows Pyongyang’s intention of attacking South Korea from many angles if it believes the Kim regime is at risk.” The Ulchi Freedom Shield training is a computer-simulated command post exercise. The U.S. and South Korean militaries said they also plan conduct large-scale field exercises as well.
During their summit at Camp David, President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said they intend to put into operation by year’s end the sharing of real-time missile warning data on North Korea and hold annual trilateral exercises.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
North Korea's Kim watches cruise missile launches as US, South Korean troops begin annual drillsNorth Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has observed the test-firing of its strategic cruise missiles
Read more »
North Korea's Kim watches cruise missile launches as US, South Korean troops begin annual drillsNorth Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has observed the test-firing of its strategic cruise missiles. The North's report on the weapons tests comes as the U.S. and South Korean militaries kicked off major annual drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal.
Read more »
North Korea's Kim watches cruise missile launches as US, South Korean troops begin annual drillsNorth Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has observed the test-firing of its strategic cruise missiles
Read more »
North Korea's Kim watches cruise missile launches as US, South Korean troops begin annual drillsNorth Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has observed the test-firing of its strategic cruise missiles.
Read more »
North Korea's Kim watches cruise missile launches as US, South Korean troops begin annual drillsNorth Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has observed the test-firing of its strategic cruise missiles.
Read more »
North Korea's Kim watches cruise missile launches as U.S., South Korean troops begin annual drillsThe North’s report on missile tests came three days after the leaders of the U.S., South Korea and Japan held their first stand-alone trilateral summit.
Read more »