Kim Jong Un reveals missile arsenal as North Korea grapples with flood
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un participated in a handover ceremony for 250 ballistic missile launchers capable of carrying tactical nuclear warheads. Seoul fears they will be used for intimidation.
7:34 PM EDT, August 5, 2024
Kim said during the ceremony held in Pyongyang on Sunday that the rocket launchers are a "modern tactical offensive weapon" that will be deployed to front-line units along the southern border, as quoted by the official KCNA agency. He added that "he designed" the rocket launchers.
The term "tactical nuclear weapon" refers to nuclear warheads with less destructive power than strategic atomic weapons.
State media emphasized that domestic factories will mass-produce mobile ballistic missile launchers targeted at South Korea. However, no details were provided about the new system.
The missiles could reach the outskirts of Seoul
Li Sung Dzun, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff Command in Seoul, stated that they believe the missiles are intended for use in various ways, such as attacking or intimidating South Korea. He added that deployment near the border would mean that their range is not large.
Based on photos published by KCNA, the South Korean agency Yonhap assessed that these are Hwasong-11 ballistic missile launchers. Analysts believe they have a range of up to 62 miles. This means that if deployed in front-line areas, they would theoretically be able to reach the outskirts of Seoul, which is inhabited by about half of South Korea's 51 million residents.
Kim boasts about missiles while the country faces a flood
In his Sunday speech, North Korea's leader said that showcasing new weapons. At the same time, the country's struggles with the effects of flooding are a display of our party's determined will to continue strengthening defense capabilities. Kim again accused the US of creating various threats that "forced" North Korea to increase its military capacity.
Relations between the Korean states have been the worst in decades. At the end of 2023, Pyongyang declared null and void a key agreement signed with Seoul in 2018 to de-escalate military tensions. In January, Kim declared that South Korea is the "main enemy" of his country, ordered the closure of agencies dealing with reunification, and threatened war over "even 0.00004 inches" of territory violation.
In June, in response to Pyongyang's continuous provocations, including sending balloons with garbage, the authorities in Seoul decided, among other measures, to resume broadcasting anti-regime messages through loudspeakers at the border.
