North Korea’s Kim, sister inspect ballistic weapons at missile base as tension with South rises

Clad in his customary black leather jacket, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un along with his powerful sister Kim Yo Jong inspected a strategic missile base and “examined the readiness for action of strategic deterrence directly connected with the security of the country."  

Kim inspected “important functions and capabilities of launch-related facilities in the missile bases”, North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

In the images released by KCNA, Kim was seen viewing transport and launch vehicles for the country’s largest and most powerful intercontinental ballistic weapons.

Images also showed Kim standing in front of massive Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Kim also hailed North Korea’s missile force for its “pivotal role” in the country’s war deterrence, saying it was a top priority.

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‘Need to modernise, fortify strategic missile bases’ 

Kim, as per KCNA, said: “The US strategic nuclear means pose ever-increasing threats to the security environment of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea."  

As a result, it is crucial that “the DPRK more definitely bolsters its war deterrence and takes a thorough and strict counteraction posture of the nuclear forces”.

Kim further “stressed the need to further modernise and fortify the strategic missile bases”.

Kim’s tour comes days after South Korea’s spy agency said Pyongyang had sent a “large-scale” troop deployment to Russia to fight against Ukraine, cementing Pyongyang’s contentious military alliance with Moscow.

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Releasing satellite images earlier this week, South Korea’s spy agency said it showed that 1,500 elite special forces soldiers from North Korea training in Russia ahead of deployment to the front line of the war against Ukraine.

The US and NATO are yet to confirm the deployment – which both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied.

Ukraine media reported President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Tuesday that two North Korean brigades – with up to 6,000 personnel each – were undergoing training in Russia.

The Russian Telegram channel Astra also released clips on Tuesday purportedly showing Russian and North Korean soldiers, with audio capturing phrases such as “I’m tired” and “we’re late” spoken in a North Korean accent.  

With inputs from AFP.