Pyongyang has repeatedly carried out missile tests in response to what North Korea describes as provocative war games carried out by Japan, South Korea, and the US.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected the launch of strategic cruise missiles fired from a patrol ship of his country’s East Sea Fleet, according to a state-run news agency.
The media outlet released images of Kim inspecting the ship’s weapons and combat preparedness as he watched a missile test.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a missile test on August 21, 2023. – Sputnik International, 1920, 21.08.2023 © Photo : KCNA
While on board, Kim reportedly praised the vessel’s crew for “maintaining high mobility and mighty striking power and constant preparedness for combat to cope with sudden situation.”
According to the news agency, the missile test showcased the ship’s combat capabilities and prepared the sailors for “carrying out the attack mission in actual war.”
A North Korean patrol ship test-fires a cruise missile on August 21, 2023. – Sputnik International, 1920, 21.08.2023 © KCNA
The news outlet quoted Kim as pledging that he would bolster efforts to build powerful warships and modernize shipboard and underwater weapons systems for the navy. He also reportedly urged North Korean sailors to build “overwhelming ideological and spiritual strength,” saying that that is more important than numerical or technical superiority of weapons.
The report did not specify the date of the missile test, which seemingly came as Washington and Seoul started a joint large-scale military exercise in the region.
The exercise will include about 30 field training events based on an all-out war scenario, according to an official from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
This followed a trilateral summit between the leaders of the US, South Korea and Japan, which was held at the US presidential retreat of Camp David late last week.
During the gathering, US President Joe Biden – along with South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida – discussed expanding mutual security and economic relations.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a joint press conference after their meeting at the presidential office in Seoul – Sputnik International, 1920, 18.08.2023
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Yoon, for his part, pointed out a purported “threat” emanating from North Korea, saying that the three leaders had agreed to improve their “joint response capabilities to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, which have become sophisticated more than ever.”
By Sputnik Globe
Published by Sputnik Globe
Republished by The 21st Century
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