North Korea tested a 600mm multiple rocket launcher system capable of mounting nuclear warheads after South Korea detected several missile launches into the East Sea. Kim Jong Un and his daughter inspected the test, sending a warning to enemies within a 420-kilometer strike range to recognize its destructive power.
North Korean state media reported that the country tested a multiple rocket launcher system capable of carrying nuclear warheads after South Korea detected about 10 long-range missile launches the previous day. The test occurred following the start of the annual spring joint military exercises between US and South Korean forces, scheduled to continue until 19 March.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the test on Saturday (14 March) was overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, using a highly accurate 600mm caliber multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS) consisting of 12 launchers, supported by two artillery battalions.
Reports stated that the rockets fired successfully hit a target on an island in the East Sea of the Korean Peninsula, located over 360 kilometers away, while the weapon system’s maximum strike range is about 420 kilometers.
Kim said this test allows enemies within the strike range to understand the destructive power of tactical nuclear weapons and causes unease among opponents. He praised the rocket launcher system as a "lethal yet powerful weapon."
Images released by state media showed multiple rockets being launched from large vehicles. Also visible were Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae watching the test; she has appeared publicly frequently recently and is viewed as a potential future political heir.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported detecting multiple weapon launches from North Korea into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, on Saturday. The South Korean presidential office condemned the action as “provocation violating United Nations Security Council resolutions” and called on North Korea to immediately cease such activities.
This weapons test came just hours after South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min Seok revealed that US President Donald Trump viewed a meeting with North Korean leadership as potentially positive. The Trump administration has been pushing to revive high-level talks with North Korea over recent months, with a summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un possibly taking place this year, perhaps during Trump’s planned late March visit to Beijing.
However, North Korea remains cautious about negotiation proposals, although Kim recently said the US and North Korea could "coexist" if the US accepted North Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed state.
This rocket test is also seen as a response to the joint US-South Korea military exercises named "Freedom Shield," involving about 18,000 South Korean troops, which will continue until 19 March.
Analysts from the Korea Institute for National Unification noted that North Korea’s weapons launches align with the allies’ exercise schedule, reflecting that the weapons system is used as a nuclear deterrent and a demonstration of military power.
Earlier, Kim Yo Jong, sister of the North Korean leader, warned that the joint exercises could lead to "unforeseeably disastrous consequences," noting that military drills are taking place amid global security instability and ongoing conflicts in several regions.
Additionally, Pyongyang condemned recent US and Israeli attacks on Iran as "illegal aggression" and evidence of US behavior that North Korea labels as that of a rogue state.
Meanwhile, North Korea recently tested missile launches from the navy’s destroyer "So Hyun," claiming this is part of plans to equip the country’s navy with nuclear weapons.