With its latest series of missile tests, North Korea claims to have simulated the bombardment of South Korea with tactical nuclear weapons. As the state news agency KCNA reported, the missile tests were intended, among other things, to simulate the shelling of airfields in South Korea and “send the enemy a stern warning”. North Korea’s ruler Kim Jong Un personally attended the weapons tests, which reportedly included dummy nuclear warheads.
According to KCNA, the tests are a reaction to recent sea maneuvers by the South Korean and US armed forces, in which the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan also took part.
Since the end of September, the country has fired ballistic missiles seven times. Most recently, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan (Korean: East Sea) on Sunday. Last Tuesday, the North Korean military also had a medium-range missile fly over the Japanese archipelago for the first time in five years.
UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range, which, depending on the design, can also carry a nuclear warhead.
