Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test-firing of the country’s latest anti-aircraft missile system on Thursday, state media KCNA reported on Friday. The test aimed to evaluate the performance and reliability of the system, which has already entered production.
According to KCNA, Kim expressed gratitude to the research group responsible for the system’s development. The report stated that the test confirmed the system’s “high reliability” and demonstrated its “advantageous combat response”. Conducted under the supervision of North Korea’s Missile Administration, the test was part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s air defense capabilities.
While the report did not disclose the specific location of the test, it mentioned that Kim was accompanied by members of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.
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The missile test coincided with the conclusion of the annual Freedom Shield military drills conducted by South Korea and the United States, which ended on Thursday. While Seoul and Washington maintain that these exercises are purely defensive, Pyongyang has long denounced them as preparations for an invasion.
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A spokesperson for North Korea’s defense ministry, in a statement carried by KCNA, condemned the latest joint military exercises, labeling them “reckless” and “a rehearsal of war.” The statement warned that all possible countermeasures were being considered to contain the U.S. and South Korea, including the deployment of “the most destructive and deadly military means.” It further urged both nations to cease what Pyongyang views as provocative actions.
