North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un vowed nuclear expansion amid United States and South Korean military drills. State media reported that the North Korean leader inspected the most advanced warship equipped with a nuclear-capable system.
Kim Jong-Un visited the western port of Nampo on August 18 amid the drills between the two nations. As per reports, around 21,000 troops, including 18,000 South Koreans, are taking part in field training and computer-simulated command post operations.
North Korea has always dubbed these drills as an invasion rehearsal and justified its nuclear programme to defend its territory.
In April, North Korea had conducted its first tests of critical weapons systems on its newly launched destroyer, with leader Kim Jong-un emphasising the urgency of boosting the navy’s nuclear capabilities to strengthen the country’s maritime forces, Yonhap News Agency had reported, citing state media.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the tests took place under Kim’s supervision and involved the “combat application” of armaments installed on the new 5,000-ton warship, named Choe Hyon.
The destroyer, described as a multipurpose vessel, was officially launched in April. It is equipped with an array of offensive weapons, including supersonic strategic cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles, and other advanced strike systems.
