Current:Home > InvestNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees latest test of new multiple rocket launcher-LoTradeCoin
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees latest test of new multiple rocket launcher
View Date:2024-12-23 20:28:50
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised another test firing of a new multiple rocket launch system the country plans to deploy to its forces starting this year, state media said Saturday, part of its move to bolster its lineup of weapons targeting South Korean population centers.
North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said Friday's test confirmed the "advantage and destructive power" of the 240-millimeter multiple rocket launcher and its guided shells. The agency said the system, which the North already tested twice this year, will be deployed to combat units from 2024 to 2026 to replace older weapons.
North Korea in recent months has maintained an accelerated pace in weapons testing as it expands its military capabilities while diplomacy with the United States and South Korea remains stalled. In March, Kim joined troops training on a new tank model and drove one himself, state media reported, as his rivals South Korea and the U.S. wrapped up their annual military exercises.
Experts say Kim's goal is to eventually pressure the United States into accepting the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength.
North Korea has focused on artillery systems in recent weeks. Its testing activities included salvo launches of 600-mm multiple rocket launchers in April that state media described as a simulated nuclear counterattack against enemy targets.
The North also this year conducted various cruise missile tests and flight-tested what it described as a solid-fuel intermediate range missile with hypersonic warhead capabilities. Experts say it is designed to reach remote U.S. targets in the Pacific, including the military hub of Guam.
Following Friday's test, Kim issued instructions to maximize the production of the 240-mm multiple rocket launchers and their guided shells, which he said would bring a "significant change" to the combat capabilities of his forces, the North Korean news agency said.
While North Korean artillery systems are designed to target South Korea's capital area, which is home to half of that country's 51 million people, South Korean military officials also suspect the North's recent tests are aimed at examining weapons it plans to export to Russia.
U.S. and South Korean officials have accused the North of providing artillery shells, missiles and other military equipment to Russia to help extend its warfighting in Ukraine.
Kim in recent months has attempted to boost the visibility of his ties with Moscow and Beijing as he tries to break out of diplomatic isolation and insert himself into a united front against Washington.
- In:
- Kim Jong Un
veryGood! (849)
Related
- Why Jersey Shore's Jenni JWoww Farley May Not Marry Her Fiancé Zack Clayton
- Suni Lee, Olympic gymnastics champion, competing at Winter Cup. Here's how to watch.
- My 8-year-old daughter got her first sleepover invite. There's no way she's going.
- Bachelor Nation’s Jared Haibon and Pregnant Ashley Iaconetti Reveal Sex of Baby No. 2
- Are Dancing with the Stars’ Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber Living Together? She Says…
- A Brewer on the Brewers? MLB player hopes dream becomes reality with Milwaukee
- Remains identified as Oregon teen Sandra Young over half a century after she went missing
- Trump enters South Carolina’s Republican primary looking to embarrass Haley in her home state
- 1 dead, 2 children injured in wrong-way crash; driver suspected of DWI: Reports
- Dancing With the Stars' Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson Detail Son's Bond With Maks' Kids
Ranking
- Knicks Player Ogugua Anunoby Nearly Crashes Into Anne Hathaway and Her Son During NBA Game
- Andy Cohen apologizes, denies sexually harassing Brandi Glanville in 2022 video call
- Louisiana advances a bill expanding death penalty methods in an effort to resume executions
- Amy Schumer Shares Cushing Syndrome Diagnosis After Drawing Speculation Over Her Puffier Face
- Sister Wives' Janelle Brown Details to Meri Why She Can't Trust Ex Kody and His Sole Wife Robyn
- A search warrant reveals additional details about a nonbinary teen’s death in Oklahoma
- NCAA President Charlie Baker addresses future of federal legislation, antitrust exemption
- An oil boom, a property slump and dental deflation
Recommendation
-
How Kim Kardashian Navigates “Uncomfortable” Situations With Her 4 Kids
-
Professional bowler arrested during tournament, facing child pornography charges
-
So many sanctions on Russia. How much impact do they really have?
-
Small, nonthreatening balloon intercepted over Utah by NORAD
-
A Pipeline Runs Through It
-
Professional bowler arrested during tournament, facing child pornography charges
-
Celebrity owl Flaco dies a year after becoming beloved by New York City for zoo escape
-
Stylish & Comfortable Spring Break Outfits From Amazon You'll Actually Want to Wear