SEOUL, April 23 — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen a drill simulating a “nuclear counterattack,” state-run KCNA news agency said today, the latest in a volley of tests by Pyongyang this year.
The drill took place yesterday, according to the report. Seoul’s military had earlier announced that the North had fired several short-range ballistic missiles yesterday, with Tokyo confirming the launch.
The drill involved “super-large multiple rocket units” which “hit their island target” some 352 kilometres (219 miles) away, the report said.
It added that Kim “appreciated the high hit and accuracy” of the rockets.
South Korea’s military said yesterday that the missiles flew from the Pyongyang area for about 300 kilometres before splashing down in the waters east of the Korean peninsula.
The launch is the second in less than a week by Pyongyang, which on Friday tested a “super-large warhead” designed for a strategic cruise missile, state media said. Seoul’s military confirmed it had detected cruise missile launches at the time.
The launch comes after Pyongyang’s ally Moscow in March used its United Nations Security Council veto to effectively end UN monitoring of sanctions violations on Kim’s government for its nuclear and weapons programme. — AFP
