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By Jerald Jimenez
02 Sep 2023, 22:35 PM EDT
North Korea carried out a mock nuclear attack on Saturday with two cruise missiles equipped with dummy nuclear warheads, the state agency KCNA reported.
Kim Jong-un’s regime said it was a warning to the United States and South Korea, which have recently carried out joint military exercises in the region.
The drill consisted of firing two long-range cruise missiles from North Korea’s west coast towards the sea in the south, at an altitude of 150 meters and a distance of 1,500 kilometers. South Korea’s joint staff confirmed the launch of the missiles and said it was analyzing their characteristics.
KCNA accused the United States and South Korea of seeking a “hysterical confrontation” with their military maneuvers, which it considered a provocation and a threat to peace and security on the Korean peninsula.
North Korea has stepped up its nuclear and ballistic tests this year, defying international sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Last week, he unsuccessfully tried to launch a spy satellite, which experts say could be a cover-up to test an intercontinental missile.
In response, the United States and South Korea have strengthened their defensive cooperation, including deploying advanced stealth aircraft in their joint exercises.
The North Korean leader visited a training command post on Tuesday where he detailed future war plans, including “carrying out simultaneous super-intense attacks” against South military targets.
Relations between the two Koreas are at their lowest point in years, with diplomatic efforts stalled after failed attempts to discuss Pyongyang’s denuclearization. Dialogue has been hampered by North Korean demands to lift sanctions and US conditions to verify disarmament.
With information from El País