SEOUL — North Korea broke its silence on a recent spate of missile tests on Monday as its state media reported that the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, oversaw test launches of several missiles nuclear-capable short-range ballistic missiles, including one that was fired from an underwater silo.
It was the first time North Korea had claimed it was building underwater nuclear weapons silos, suggesting the country was developing technology that would make its missiles harder to detect and intercept.
North Korean media also released photos purporting to show a ballistic missile emerging from under the waters of a reservoir. One of the recent tests, he said, was a rehearsal of nuclear weapon firings at airports in South Korea.
The North has launched 12 ballistic missiles in seven weapons tests over the past two weeks. All were short-range missiles, except for the intermediate-range ballistic missile launched on October 4 that flew over Japan, setting off alarms in the north of the country.
On Monday, state media reported Mr. Kim’s presence at the testing sites for the first time in five months, publishing a ream of photographs. The country has conducted a record 25 missile tests this year.
The Significance of North Korean Missile Tests
Monday marked the 77th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party in the North, and his state media appeared to highlight Mr. Kim’s leadership by showcasing his country’s growing nuclear and missile capabilities – the greatest achievement of Mr. Kim since he came to power more than a decade ago. Mr Kim reportedly said the recent tests were aimed at demonstrating “our nuclear response posture and nuclear attack capabilities”.
He said his country did not feel the need to engage in “dialogue with enemies”.
Under Mr. Kim, North Korea has demanded recognition as a nuclear-weapon state, vowing never to give up its nuclear deterrent. Since Mr. Kim’s diplomacy with former President Donald J. Trump collapsed without a deal, North Korea has redoubled its efforts to bolster its weapons programs, testing several new missiles that are harder to detect and to be intercepted because they could fly at hypersonic speeds or change course during flight or were launched from wagons emerging from tunnels.
On Monday, North Korea said that during the missile test carried out on September 25, its soldiers simulated loading “tactical nuclear warheads into a silo under a tank”, testing their ability to launch ballistic missiles at from “underwater silos”.
Three days after the test, North Korea fired two short-range missiles to practice launching tactical nuclear warheads that could “neutralize” South Korean airports, its state media said on Monday.
North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs are shrouded in secrecy, making it difficult to assess their true capabilities. But analysts say Mr Kim was using stalled talks with Washington to test and improve his weapons and raise the stakes in future negotiations.
The North Korean missile launched over Japan on Oct. 4 was a new type of intermediate-range ballistic missile, the country said. It was the first North Korean missile to fly over Japan since North Korea tested two Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missiles in 2017. It flew about 2,800 miles, the longest distance ever flown by a North Korean weapon, he said. estimates by South Korean and Japanese officials.
When North Korea tested its intercontinental ballistic missiles in 2017 and again in March, it launched them at a deliberately steep angle so they soared high into space before falling into the waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan.
After the 2017 test, North Korea claimed the ability to deliver nuclear warheads to the mainland United States. The short- and medium-range ballistic missiles it launched in recent weeks were developed to target South Korean and US military bases in the region, according to military experts.
North Korea on Monday released photos of artillery and rocket-firing drills conducted last week, as well as an air strike drill it said involved more than 150 fighter jets. It was the first time that North Korea had deployed so many aircraft at the same time in an exercise, he added.
In Seoul, President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said South Korea was strengthening its alliance with the United States to deter North Korea. “We want North Korea to realize that the possession of nuclear weapons not only endangers the peace and freedom of the region, but also does not help its own economy and security,” he said on Sunday. Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson for Mr. Yoon.
On Friday, the Biden administration announced it was imposing sanctions on several businessmen and companies in Asia that support North Korean weapons development.