North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he will unveil plans to further bolster his country’s nuclear programme in the upcoming ruling party congress, state media reported on Wednesday.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim observed North Korea perform a live-fire drill of an upgraded large-caliber multiple rocket launcher system on Tuesday, quoting the leader as saying the test launch was meant to enhance the effectiveness of the country’s “strategic deterrent,” a term used to describe its nuclear weapons capability.
The report came a day after South Korea and Japan said they detected multiple ballistic missiles fired from North Korea, the country’s first weapons launches in about three weeks.
KCNA said the launcher system’s mobility and strike accuracy have been improved, and that the upcoming ruling Workers’ Party, expected to start in February, will be a venue to declare “next-stage plans for further bolstering up the country’s nuclear war deterrent”.
The congress, the first of its kind in five years, is one of North Korea’s biggest propaganda spectacles and is used to establish new political and economic priorities.
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Experts say North Korea’s large-sized rocket launchers blur the boundaries between artillery systems and ballistic missiles because they can create their own thrust and are guided during delivery.
Since December, North Korea has already test-fired what it called hypersonic missiles, long-range, strategic cruise missiles and new anti-air missiles. The country’s recent testing activities were likely meant to demonstrate or review its weapons development achievements ahead of the congress.
While many foreign analysts say North Korea needs to master an ability to place multiple warheads on a single missile to defeat its rivals’ missile defences, there are also questions on whether North Korea has acquired the technology to shield warheads from the high-temperature, high-stress environment of atmospheric reentry for long-range missiles targeting the US mainland.
North Korea has refused to engage in talks with the US and South Korea since Kim’s nuclear diplomacy with President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019. Experts say Kim could return to talks if he’s assured of some economic and political rewards for limited denuclearization steps.
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