North Korean leader Kim inspects missile bases, ballistic weapons
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North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (left) visiting a strategic missile base at an undisclosed location in North Korea, in a picture released on Oct 23.
PHOTO: AFP
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SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a strategic missile base, state media said on Oct 23, releasing images of him viewing transport and launch vehicles for the country’s largest and most powerful intercontinental ballistic weapons.
Mr Kim’s tour comes days after South Korea’s spy agency said the North had sent a “large-scale” troop deployment to Russia
Mr Kim “examined the readiness for action of strategic deterrence directly connected with the security of the country”, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
Images in state media showed Mr Kim – wearing his customary black leather jacket – standing in front of massive Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles.
He was also pictured next to medium- to long-range hypersonic missiles, which are difficult to intercept due to their irregular flight paths.
Mr Kim inspected “important functions and capabilities of launch-related facilities in the missile bases”, KCNA said.
He hailed North Korea’s missile force for its “pivotal role” in the country’s war deterrence, saying it was a top priority.
Mr Kim was accompanied by his powerful sister, Ms Kim Yo Jong, and other military officials, according to KCNA.
“The US strategic nuclear means pose ever-increasing threats to the security environment of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK),” KCNA quoted Mr Kim as saying. As a result, it is crucial that “the DPRK more definitely bolsters its war deterrence and takes a thorough and strict counteraction posture of the nuclear forces”.
KCNA added that Mr Kim “stressed the need to further modernise and fortify the strategic missile bases”.
This week, South Korea’s spy agency released satellite images it said showed 1,500 elite special forces soldiers from North Korea training in Russia ahead of deployment to the front line of the war against Ukraine.
The US and Nato have yet to confirm the deployment – which both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied.
Ukrainian media reported President Volodymyr Zelensky as saying on Oct 22 that two North Korean brigades – with up to 6,000 personnel each – were undergoing training in Russia.
Also on Oct 22, Russian Telegram channel Astra released clips purportedly showing Russian and North Korean soldiers, with audio capturing phrases such as “I’m tired” and “we’re late” spoken in a North Korean accent. AFP
