North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his teenage daughter, observed a live-fire test of multiple rocket launch systems over the weekend, state media reported Sunday. The demonstration is widely interpreted as a response to ongoing joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, which Pyongyang views as a rehearsal for invasion.
The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim oversaw a strike drill involving twelve 600mm-calibre, ultra-precision rocket launchers along North Korea’s east coast on Saturday.
South Korean authorities confirmed that around ten ballistic missiles were launched from the North’s capital region toward the eastern sea. The South Korean National Security Council condemned the action as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions banning North Korea’s ballistic activities.
According to Korean Central News Agency, Kim stated that the drill was intended to make adversaries within the 420-kilometer (260-mile) striking range “uneasy” and provide a “deep understanding of the destructive power of tactical nuclear weapons.” Analysts interpret this as a direct reference to U.S. and South Korean forces stationed on the peninsula. “If this weapon is used, the opponent’s military infrastructure within its striking range can never survive,” Kim said.
Photos released by the North Korean media showed Kim and his daughter, reportedly Kim Ju Ae, walking near massive olive-green launch trucks and observing rockets being fired. Kim Ju Ae, believed to be around 13 years old, has appeared at multiple high-profile events such as missile tests and military parades since late 2022, fueling speculation that she may be groomed as a future leader.
Military experts note that North Korea’s large-calibre rocket systems blur the line between traditional artillery and ballistic missiles. The weapons can generate their own thrust and are guided during delivery, with some reportedly capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
The U.S.-South Korean springtime military exercise, Freedom Shield, is a computer-simulated command post operation running through March 19. North Korea frequently responds to these drills with its own weapons tests and strong rhetoric, escalating tensions on the peninsula.
