SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed major weapons tests and called for the military’s “deadly and destructive offensive posture” to be bolstered, state media reported Friday, days after the country commissioned its first naval destroyer.
The development was in line with Kim's push to strengthen both nuclear and conventional military capabilities while refusing to return to talks with South Korea and the United States.
The tests watched by Kim on Thursday were meant to evaluate the power of a “special mission" warhead for a tactical ballistic missile, an upgraded multiple rocket launch system and the hit accuracy of shells with an extended firing range of a self-propelled gun-howitzer, the official Korean Central News Agency said.
KCNA cited Kim as saying results of the tests proved the technological progress achieved in a push to bring about a change in the fire posture on southern border areas, implying the tested weapons systems target sites in South Korea including U.S. military bases there.
Kim said North Korea's self-defense policy includes an objective to strengthen "the deadly and destructive offensive posture to make no enemy dare to confront,” KCNA said. “To make the enemies feel constant uneasiness and fear is just an important aspect of the exercise of war deterrent.”
KCNA said the special mission warhead tested is aimed at “inflicting fatal damage on major targets including airfields, ports and power facilities of the enemy.”
On Tuesday, North Korea commissioned the 5,000-ton destroyer that Kim touted as a symbol of the country’s growing naval and nuclear capabilities. The Choe Hyon is North Korea's most advanced warship.
Kim has been focusing on enlarging his nuclear and missile arsenals since his high-stakes diplomacy with U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019. He's later underscored the need to build sophisticated conventional weapons as well.
In response to Trump's repeated outreach to restart diplomacy, Kim has suggested that talks can resume if the U.S. drops its demand for denuclearization of North Korea as a precondition of diplomacy. Kim has taken a harsher posture on South Korea, calling it his country's “principal enemy” and building more military structures along the rivals' heavily fortified border.
Kim has boosted his diplomatic footprint in past years by expanding ties with Russia with his support of its war against Ukraine. Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited North Korea for the first time in seven years for a meeting with Kim.
