North Korea, which has carried out a string of rocket and nuclear weapons tests in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions, said on Wednesday it had conducted a ballistic missile test that simulates strikes against South Korean ports and airfields used by the us military, apparently referring to three missile launches on Tuesday.
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The North Korean drill was conducted “under the simulated conditions of making preemptive strikes” on the regions of South Korea where THAAD is located, state-run KCNA said.
The tests were meant to examine the operational characteristics of the detonation systems for nuclear warheads of ballistic missiles to the designated altitude above the targeted area, said KCNA.
The three reported launches came as North Korea loudly criticized the planned deployment of an advanced us missile defense system in South Korea.
Pyongyang said it conducted a similar test of a warhead-detonating device when it fired a submarine-launched missile in April.
North Korea is believed to be developing nuclear warheads and attempting to miniaturise them to mount on ballistic missiles, but it is believed the secretive nation is a few years from achieving mastering the move.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was accompanied at the launch by top officials of the military and arms industry, including Kim Rak Gyom, commander of the KPA Strategic Force.
The Secretary General of the UN Ban Ki-moon described as very worrying the firing of North Korean ballistic missiles, said Tuesday the deputy spokesman Farhan Haq UN.
On Tuesday, Seongju residents and lawmakers from the region expressed concerns that the North’s latest missile launch implied potential threats to the southeastern county due to the decision. Last month, Pyongyang claimed success in its sixth test of the missile believed to be capable of reaching the USA territory of Guam. It said it had miniaturised a nuclear warhead to fit on a missile and successfully tested an engine designed for an inter-continental ballistic missile that could reach the United States mainland.
“But it’s a reminder that they are continuing to pursue nuclear warhead development, and that itself is an escalation of risks for us”, he added.
The U.S. air force said Lippert flew in a familiarization flight in an F-16 on July 12 to gain better understanding of the U.S. and South Korea’s joint defense against North Korea.
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“The men and women of USSTRATCOM, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Pacific Command remain vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations and are fully committed to working closely with our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies to maintain security”, reported Fox News.
