North Korea tests more missiles as Kim calls for war readiness

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea extended its provocative spate of weapons tests on Friday by launching cruise missiles into the sea, while its leader, Kim Jong Un, called on the military to step up war preparations during a visit. to a shipyard.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Seoul and Washington’s militaries were analyzing North Korean maneuvers in their western waters and noted that several missiles were detected, but did not offer a concrete number or immediately evaluate their flight characteristics.

The launches — Pyongyang’s fourth with cruise missiles in 2024 — came hours after state media reported that Kim reiterated his interest in strengthening his naval forces while inspecting unspecified projects at a shipyard in Nampho, on the coast. west of the country.

In recent months, Kim has emphasized his effort to achieve a nuclear-capable Navy to counter what he describes as a growing external threat from the United States, South Korea and Japan, which have stepped up their military cooperation to make the nuclear program North Korean missiles and nuclear weapons.

The Korean Central News Agency did not indicate when Kim’s visit to Nampho took place. Furthermore, he paraphrased the president saying that strengthening his Navy “is presented as the most important issue to reliably defend the country’s maritime sovereignty and intensify war preparations.”

The ACNC did not specify what type of ships were being built at Nampho, but said they were tied to the five-year military development plan announced at a party congress in early 2021. At the time, Kim revealed an extensive wish list for advanced military assets. , which included nuclear-powered submarines and nuclear-capable missiles that could be launched from underwater.

During the inspection, Kim was informed of the progress in his naval projects and the technological challenges ahead, and ordered workers to “unconditionally” complete the efforts within the deadline set by the plan, which ends in 2025, the agency added. state news.

For her part, Kim Inae, spokesperson for the South Korean Unification Ministry, indicated that this was the first time, according to the department, that state media reported a military inspection by Kim in Nampho. This could indicate an expansion of naval projects from the eastern Sinpo shipyard, the place where submarines were built. The spokesperson did not offer a specific answer to the question of whether Seoul believes Pyongyang is using Nampho for its purpose of building nuclear submarines.

“By making routine military threats, North Korea is trying to create a sense of insecurity among the South Korean people to undermine trust in its government and attract international attention to build an atmosphere in which its demands must be accepted to resolve the crisis in South Korea.” the Korean Peninsula,” he added.

South Korea’s military said its special operations troops were concluding a 10-day training session with U.S. Green Berets on Friday in an area near Seoul, in the allies’ latest joint drills. In recent months, the two countries have carried out broader exercises, including some trilateral maneuvers with Japan.