North Korea says 18-missile salvo a warning to Seoul’s ‘gangsters’ regime’
- State media said ‘showers of fire for annihilation’ during the drill supervised by Kim Jong-un showed Pyongyang’s will to react against the enemy
- The exercise came as US analysis of debris imagery found Russia fielded North Korean missiles in its war in Ukraine
North Korea said it fired 18 short-range ballistic missiles during a drill as a demonstration of its willingness to launch a pre-emptive strike against South Korea’s “gangsters’ regime” if necessary to counter an attack, state media reported on Friday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un guided the firing drill of 600mm “super-large” multiple rocket launchers on Thursday, state news agency KCNA reported.
South Korea said it had detected at least 10 short-range ballistic missiles fired by North Korea off its east coast, and called it a possible display for would-be buyers, including Russia.
The launch, following the firing of tactical ballistic missiles and a failed satellite launch this month, was a clear act of provocation that threatens peace on the Korean peninsula, deputy spokesperson for Seoul’s unification ministry Kim In-ae told a briefing.
Artillery troops successfully hit the target of an island located about 365 kms (227 miles) away as leader Kim oversaw the demonstration at the launch site, KCNA reported.
Photos published by state media showed 18 missiles, known by experts as KN-25s, rising into the air from mobile launchers.
First tested in 2019, the “super-large” rocket blurs the distinction between multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) and SRBMs, according to the Centre for International and Strategic Studies.