North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a ceremony to commemorate the transfer of a new-type tactical ballistic missile weapon system, which serves as the “pivot military hardware” in the armed forces, state media reported on Monday.
Kim attended the ceremony, which took place on Sunday, showcasing 250 new-type tactical ballistic missile launchers to front-line military units, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim also delivered a speech, stating that an important task specified in the practical guidelines for bolstering military strength, decided at the 8th WPK Congress, has been successfully carried out, reports Yonhap news agency, quoting KCNA.
The report did not provide further details on the new system or where the inspection took place.
Photos released by the KCNA suggest that the transferred weapon system is the ‘Hwasong-11’ launcher, which is expected to be deployed in the military demarcation line area with South Korea.
Kim recently said the US-led alliance has changed into a military bloc based on nuclear power, using it as a rationale for strengthening the country’s military capabilities.
In Sunday’s speech, the North Korean leader again blamed the US for creating various types of threats that forced his country to enhance its military capabilities.
Kim also mentioned that the US will remain a hostile nation for generations, hinting at the regime’s commitment to bolstering its military capabilities, regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election in November.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, refuted Kim’s repeated remarks about strengthening military power due to US threat.
“The primary reason for the threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is North Korea’s illegal development of nuclear weapons and missiles, which directly threatens both South Korea and the world,” Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson at the ministry, said during a regular briefing.
South Korea’s military said intelligence authorities from the South and the United States have continuously tracked and monitored the North’s weapons development and said the new weapons will likely be used to threaten the South.
“We assess they will be utilised for various means, such as attacking or threatening the South,” Col. Lee Sung-joon, spokesperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a regular press briefing, noting how the deployment of the missile launchers near the border area suggests they are intended for close-range launches.
The latest event comes as North Korea has been mostly focusing on beefing up its short- and intermediate-range missile capabilities this year with the test launch of short-range ballistic missiles, strategic cruise missiles and hypersonic missiles.
Observers say that it remains to be seen whether the North, which has been struggling with scarce resources amid international sanctions over its weapons development, can secure enough parts to manufacture missiles for the new launchers.
The ceremony also comes as the North appears to have suffered from recent floods. The North’s border city of Sinuiju and Uiju County in North Pyongan Province were recently pummeled by heavy rains. South Korean media outlets have reported that the number of those who died or went missing could exceed 1,000.
Kim noted that the event comes at a time when the entire country is engaged in recovery efforts from flood damage, the KCNA said.
Other KCNA photos also showed Kim’s daughter, Ju-ae, attending the event, making her first public appearance in nearly three months.
South Korean lawmakers earlier said the younger Kim is being groomed to succeed her father, though the selection is not final and he could ultimately choose someone else, quoting the National Intelligence Service.
The South Korean spy agency made the report to the parliamentary intelligence committee last month, saying North Korea has suggested Ju-ae is a strong candidate to succeed her father by adjusting the frequency of her public appearances to gauge public sentiment, Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the ruling People Power Party and Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party said during a press briefing. AGENCIES
