Kim Jong Un, North Korea's supreme leader, personally directed the test launch of a new hypersonic missile to elevate the readiness of the country's nuclear forces for actual warfare.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Monday (5 Jan) that the test occurred last Sunday. Pyongyang stated the test was urgently necessary amid recent geopolitical crises, directly referencing the global tensions over the weekend, particularly the U.S. arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a North Korean ideological ally.
South Korea and Japan confirmed detecting the launch of at least two missiles from near Pyongyang on Sunday. This marks North Korea's first weapons test of the year and occurred just hours before South Korean President Lee Jae-myung departed for Beijing to attend a summit with Chinese leaders.
The South Korean leader expressed hopes to leverage China's role and influence to persuade North Korea to restore long-strained relations between Seoul and Pyongyang.
KCNA quoted Kim Jong Un saying the test reflects the readiness of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) nuclear forces. He emphasized that North Korea has made significant progress in operationalizing its nuclear forces, preparing them for real wartime conditions.
Kim Jong Un also stated that the development aims to enhance North Korea's nuclear war deterrence capabilities to a more advanced level, citing the current complex geopolitical crises and international situation as clear reasons for this development.
Analysts view the U.S. operation in Venezuela as the worst-case scenario for North Korea’s leader, who has long accused Washington of aiming to overthrow his regime.
For decades, North Korea has used its nuclear and missile programs as deterrents against what Pyongyang calls U.S. and allied attempts to topple its government.
North Korea first tested hypersonic missiles in October last year. These weapons travel at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound and can maneuver mid-flight, making missile defense systems difficult to detect and intercept.
Such weapons have been deployed in several conflict zones this year, including by Russia in attacks on Ukrainian cities and by Iran in strikes against Israel. North Korea has also strengthened ties with Russia in recent years.
Source:channelnewsasia
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