North Korea fires off more missiles as Kim Jong-un wants country ready ‘for a deadly war’ | World | News
North Korea fired multiple unidentified cruise missiles off an eastern military port as fears mount Kim Jong-un is preparing his country for war.
The missiles were launched at approximately 11pm GMT on Saturday (8am local time on Sunday), according to South Korea‘s joint chiefs of staff, and were being analysed by both South Korean and US intelligence authorities.
The projectiles were detected around the waters near the North Korean port city of Shinpo, the joint chiefs of staff explained.
Without sharing how many missiles had been fired, South Korean authorities also said in a statement: “While strengthening surveillance and vigilance, our military is cooperating closely with the United States and monitoring additional signs and activities from North Korea.”
This month alone, the hermit country launched three weapons demonstrations as well as two key missile tests.
Throughout 2023, Pyongyang fired 30 ballistic missiles, including five that could reportedly hit the US mainland. Last autumn, North Korea also managed to send into space a spy satellite, which the country’s propaganda stated was key to protecting the nation from “dangerous invasion moves by the hostile forces”.
In recent months, however, it has been Pyongyang which ramped up its pressure campaign against the south.
Officials in Washington and Seoul said they haven’t yet spotted signs that Kim intends to take imminent military action.
But the dictator appears to be sending messages to his country that a war is becoming inevitable.
In the face of North Korea’s missile launches, the US, South Korea and Japan have been expanding their combined military exercises – a move being portrayed by Kim as invasion rehearsals.
North Korea’s state media KCNA said on Sunday of the allies’ military drills happening in recent months: “The reality that nuclear war exercises against our republic have been going on like crazy since the beginning of the New Year demands that we be fully prepared for a deadly war.”
Earlier this month, Kim said a peaceful reunification of the two Koreas was no longer possible, and he is thought to have ordered the demolishment of a monument in Pyongyang symbolising hope for reconciliation.
Last autumn, Kim also struck a partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which is seeing North Korea delivering massive amounts of weapons to Russia to use in its war in Ukraine.
In turn, Moscow is likely to provide technology, materials and commodities needed by Pyongyang to expand its economy and increase its military capabilities.