Current:Home > MyNorth Korea fires multiple cruise missiles into the sea, extending recent testing spree-InfoLens
North Korea fires multiple cruise missiles into the sea, extending recent testing spree
View Date:2024-12-23 15:07:05
Seoul, South Korea — North Korea on Friday extended a provocative series of weapons tests by firing cruise missiles into the sea, as leader Kim Jong Un called for his military to step up war preparations and toured a shipyard.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the U.S. and South Korean militaries were analyzing the North Korean launches into its western sea. It said South Korea's military detected multiple missiles but didn't immediately provide a specific number or an assessment of their flights.
The launches, which were North Korea's fourth round of cruise missile tests in 2024, came hours after state media reported that Kim reiterated his focus on strengthening his naval forces as he inspected unspecified naval projects at a shipyard in Nampho on the west coast.
Kim in recent months has emphasized efforts to build a nuclear-armed navy to counter what he portrays as growing external threats posed by the United States, South Korea and Japan, which have stepped up their military cooperation in response to Kim's nuclear weapons and missile program.
North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency didn't specify when Kim visited Nampho. It paraphrased Kim as saying the strengthening of the navy "presents itself as the most important issue in reliably defending the maritime sovereignty of the country and stepping up the war preparations."
More emphasis on naval warfare
KCNA didn't specify the types of warships are being built in Nampho, but said they were related to a five-year military development plan set during a ruling party congress in early 2021. During those meetings, Kim revealed an extensive wish list of advanced military assets, which included nuclear-powered submarines and nuclear missiles that can be launched from underwater.
During the inspection, Kim was briefed on the progress of his naval projects and remaining technological challenges and ordered workers to "unconditionally" complete the efforts within the timeframe of the plan that runs through 2025, KCNA said.
Kim Inae, a spokesperson for South Korea's Unification Ministry, said it was the first time the ministry was aware of that state media reported on Kim Jong Un conducting a military inspection in Nampho. That could suggest an expansion of naval projects from the country's eastern shipyard of Sinpo, which has been the North's base for submarine construction. Kim didn't provide a specific answer when asked whether Seoul believes the North is using Nampho for its efforts to build nuclear-powered submarines.
"By making military threats routine, North Korea is trying to create a sense of insecurity among South Korean people to undermine trust in their government and to attract international attention to build an atmosphere in which its demands must be accepted to resolve the crisis on the Korean Peninsula," she said.
South Korea's army said its special operation troops wrapped up a 10-day training with U.S. Green Berets on Friday in a region near the country's capital, Seoul, in the allies' latest combined military exercises. The countries in past months had staged larger drills, including trilateral exercises involving Japan.
Testing flurry
Kim Jong Un also called for naval might on Sunday while inspecting a test of a new nuclear-capable cruise missile, the Pulhwasal-3-31, designed to be fired from submarines. The North also last month conducted tests of a long-range cruise missile, which it has described as nuclear-capable and can cover ranges of up to 1,240 miles, which would potentially put U.S. military bases in Japan within reach.
While North Korea has demonstrated quick progress in expanding its lineup of land-based nuclear-capable missiles, experts say Kim's naval ambitions may require significant more time, resources and technology breakthroughs. Most of its aging, diesel-powered submarines can launch only torpedoes and mines, and experts say Kim's stated pursuit of nuclear-propelled submarines is largely unfeasible without significant external assistance.
North Korean military scientists and engineers in recent months have been making progress on Kim's 2021 list of goals, testing for the first time last year a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, named Hwasong-18, which added to the North's arsenal of weapons targeting the U.S. mainland.
The North on Jan. 14 also tested a new solid-fuel intermediate-range missile, which underscored its efforts to advance its weapons that could target U.S. assets in the Pacific, including the military hub of Guam.
The North also plans to launch three more military spy satellites in 2024 after sending its first one into orbit in November, as Kim has described space-based reconnaissance as crucial for monitoring U.S. and South Korean military activities and enhancing the threat of his nuclear-capable missiles.
Pattern persists
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years, after Kim accelerated his weapons development to an unprecedented pace while issuing provocative nuclear threats against the United States, South Korea and Japan. The United States and its Asian allies in response have strengthened their combined military exercises and updated their deterrence strategies.
There are concerns that Kim, emboldened by the steady advancement of his nuclear arsenal and strengthened ties with Russia, would further ramp up pressure against his rivals in an election year in the United States and South Korea. Experts say Kim's long-term goal is to force the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiate security concessions and sanctions relief from a position of strength.
While most analysts downplay Kim's threats of war, some say there's a possibility that he can attempt a direct military provocation he could likely contain without letting it escalate into a full-blown conflict. One of the potential crisis points is the disputed western sea boundary between the Koreas, which had been the site of several bloody naval skirmishes in past years.
- In:
- South Korea
- North Korea
veryGood! (79475)
Related
- Mississippi rising, Georgia falling in college football NCAA Re-Rank 1-134 after Week 11
- Andy Cohen Reacts to NYE Demands After Anderson Cooper Gets Hit by Hurricane Milton Debris
- Hurricane Leslie tracker: Storm downgraded from Category 2 to Category 1
- Best-selling author Brendan DuBois indicted on child sex abuse images charges
- Research reveals China has built prototype nuclear reactor to power aircraft carrier
- DirecTV has a new free streaming service coming. Here's what we know
- Social Security COLA shrinks for 2025 to 2.5%, the smallest increase since 2021
- Jets new coach Jeff Ulbrich puts Todd Downing, not Nathaniel Hackett, in charge of offense
- Manhattan rooftop fire sends plumes of dark smoke into skyline
- The drownings of 2 Navy SEALs were preventable, military investigation finds
Ranking
- Is Veterans Day a federal holiday? Here's what to know for November 11
- Watch these 15 scary TV shows for Halloween, from 'Teacup' to 'Hellbound'
- Rihanna Reveals What Her Signature Scent Really Is
- Fans of Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine's Idea of You Need This Update
- Trump has promised to ‘save TikTok’. What happens next is less clear
- Teen held in fatal 2023 crash into Las Vegas bicyclist captured on video found unfit for trial
- Strong opposition delays vote on $1.5M settlement over deadly police shooting
- Ye sued by former employee who was asked to investigate Kim Kardashian, 'tail' Bianca Censori
Recommendation
-
Beyoncé has released lots of new products. Here's a Beyhive gift guide for the holidays
-
Tori Spelling Shares Update on Dean McDermott Relationship Amid Divorce
-
Guardians tame Tigers to force winner-take-all ALDS Game 5
-
How one 8-year-old fan got Taylor Swift's '22' hat at the Eras Tour
-
Here's what 3 toys were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame this year
-
Kentucky woman arrested after police found dismembered, cooked body parts in kitchen oven
-
US House control teeters on the unlikely battleground of heavily Democratic California
-
Teen held in fatal 2023 crash into Las Vegas bicyclist captured on video found unfit for trial