Pyongyang said on December 29 that it conducted a long-range strategic cruise missile launching drill a day earlier in the West Sea of Korea, with leader Kim Jong Un personally overseeing the exercise, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
The drill was aimed at testing the counter-offensive response posture and combat capability of long-range missile units, while also training missile soldiers in maneuvering and operational procedures for firing missions. It also served to inspect the reliability of what North Korea described as a key strategic weapon system.
During the exercise on December 28, strategic cruise missiles reportedly flew along preset flight paths over the West Sea for more than 10,000 seconds before striking their designated targets. KCNA said the drill demonstrated the operational accuracy and endurance of the missile system.
Kim Jong Un expressed strong satisfaction with the results, calling the launch a practical verification and a clear demonstration of what he described as the absolute reliability and combat readiness of North Korea’s strategic counterattack capability.
He stressed that regular checks of the reliability and rapid-response capacity of components of the country’s nuclear deterrent were a legitimate exercise of the right to self-defense and war deterrence, citing what he said were growing security threats facing the country.
Kim also reaffirmed that the Workers’ Party of Korea and the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea would continue to devote all efforts to what he termed the unlimited and sustained development of the state’s nuclear combat forces.
