North Korea's Kim takes part in test launch of new missile launcher – DW – 28.08.2024

North Korea has tested a 240mm multiple rocket launcher with a new “guidance system,” state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Wednesday.

The system “demonstrated its superiority in terms of mobility and strike concentration” during the inspection tests, KCNA said.

The test was overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who also set out “an important strategy for producing new artillery guns and equipping army units with them,” the report said.

Earlier this week, Pyongyang also tested “suicide drones,” with Kim urging researchers to develop artificial intelligence for unmanned vehicles.

In February, North Korea announced that it would equip its military with a “new” 240mm multiple rocket launcher that could hit Seoul and surrounding areas.

In May, it was said that the modernized rocket launcher would be “delivered to units of the Korean People's Army as replacement equipment from 2024 to 2026.”

Tensions between North and South

North Korea and Russia have deepened their military ties over the past year, with U.S. and South Korean officials accusing Pyongyang of supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik told Reuters that Pyongyang had sent about 12,000 containers of grenades and short-range missiles to Russia since last year through August 4.

Both Russia and North Korea have denied the allegations of arms trafficking.

Relations between Seoul and Pyongyang are currently at a low point after Pyongyang declared South Korea its “main enemy.”

North Korea threatens war and retaliation for even the slightest aggression from the South.

The US and South Korea are currently conducting their annual joint military exercises, which last until Thursday.

tg/sri (AFP, Reuters)