Kim Jong Un oversees missile tests aimed at 'enemy's capital'

This report followed an announcement by the South Korean and Japanese militaries about North Korea firing short-range ballistic missiles toward the waters off its east coast.

According to KCNA, on Monday, Kim supervised the artillery units' exercises in the country’s west, which utilized a multiple rocket launcher system with a 24-inch caliber.

KCNA noted that the North Korean leader expressed "great satisfaction" with the artillerymen's "high mobility and a precise, strong strike force" demonstration during their mission. He stressed the importance of continuing to "impress the enemies" and warned that "if an armed conflict and war erupt, (the enemies) will never escape catastrophic consequences."

He also called on his army to "more accurately fulfill the mission of thwarting and suppressing war capabilities with constant excellent readiness for the downfall of the enemy's capital and its armed forces structure". According to the South Korean agency Yonhap, Kim's comments were directed at Seoul.

The North Korean military also executed a test that simulated an air explosion of a missile launched from the tested system at a specified altitude, as reported by KCNA. A photo released by the government-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun depicted the simultaneous launch of six missiles.

AP cites experts who indicate that North Korea's large artillery missiles blur the distinction between artillery systems and ballistic missiles since these missiles can generate their own thrust and are guided during flight.

Observers have pointed out that tension on the Korean Peninsula remains remarkably high following a series of North Korean missile tests that started in 2022.