Kim oversees missile test simulating nuclear counterstrikes

SEOUL: North Korea´s Kim Jong Un oversaw drills that simulated nuclear counterstrikes against Seoul and Washington, state media said on Friday, a day after South Korea´s military flagged missile tests by Pyongyang that violated sanctions.

Seoul´s military said Thursday´s tests, which involved “various types” of short-range ballistic missiles, could be linked to the nuclear-armed North´s weapons exports to Moscow. The drills involved a 600-millimetre multilayer rocket system and a tactical ballistic missile, Pyongyang´s official Korean Central News Agency said.

Detailed trainings on “procedures and processes for rapidly switching over to the nuclear counterattack posture” took place, according to KCNA. “The goal of the drill was achieved and the reliability of the command and mobilisation system capable of quickly reacting to any nuclear crisis was verified,” the news agency added.

Kim earlier this week inspected shell manufacturing at munitions factories, with state media claiming the country´s shell output had increased dramatically in recent months. Pyongyang also recently unveiled a 5,000-ton destroyer-class vessel named Choe Hyon, that analysts say could carry both ship-to-surface and ship-to-air missiles. Seoul´s military said the warship could have involved Russian help, such as technology or funds, possibly in exchange for sending troops to help Moscow in its war in Ukraine.