North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watched a live-fire test of multiple rocket launch systems Saturday, according to state media. The test involved 12 600mm ultra-precision rocket launchers along North Korea’s east coast, the Korean Central News Agency reported.
South Korea’s military said it detected about 10 ballistic missiles launched from near Pyongyang. The South Korean National Security Council condemned the launches as a provocation and violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions that ban North Korea from ballistic missile tests, according to The Associated Press.
Kim said the drill was meant to demonstrate the destructive capability of North Korea’s tactical nuclear forces. He reportedly stated, “If this weapon is used, the opponent’s military infrastructure within its striking range can never survive.”
Photos released by state media showed Kim Jong Un and his daughter, believed to be Kim Ju Ae, around 13 or 14 years old, walking near the launch trucks. Since late 2022, Kim Ju Ae has appeared at multiple military events, fueling speculation she could be a future successor, The AP reported.
The live-fire test came after the U.S. and South Korea launched their annual military drills earlier this week, which North Korea routinely condemns as rehearsals for invasion. Last month, Kim Jong Un reportedly assigned his daughter a leadership role in the regime’s missile administration, the body overseeing Pyongyang’s nuclear forces.
The Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
