The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday, Kim expressed satisfaction as the missiles followed their designated flight path over waters west of the Korean Peninsula and successfully struck their target
By Asaye Bankole
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has supervised a test launch of long-range strategic cruise missiles and urged the “unlimited and sustained” expansion of the country’s nuclear combat forces, state media reported.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday, Kim expressed satisfaction as the missiles followed their designated flight path over waters west of the Korean Peninsula and successfully struck their target.
The launch, carried out on Sunday, was the latest in a series of high-profile events attended by Kim as he seeks to highlight North Korea’s military and economic achievements ahead of a key party congress expected in early 2026.
The congress is set to outline the country’s development plan for the next five years.
Kim said that regularly testing the reliability and rapid response of North Korea’s nuclear deterrent components is “a responsible exercise,” noting that the country faces multiple security threats.
He also reiterated that Pyongyang would continue to devote “all efforts to the unlimited and sustained development of the state’s nuclear combat force,” according to KCNA.
KCNA did not disclose the location from which the missiles were launched.
South Korea’s state news agency Yonhap reported on Monday that the South Korean military detected the launch of several missiles from the Sunan area near Pyongyang on Sunday morning.
It warned that North Korea could carry out additional missile tests toward the end of the year.
Separately, KCNA reported on Thursday that Kim also inspected an 8,700-tonne “nuclear-powered strategic guided-missile submarine” currently under construction, and cautioned that South Korea’s plan to develop nuclear-powered submarines would pose a threat to North Korea’s security and “must be countered.”
It marked the first time North Korean state media had released images of the submarine since March, when coverage mainly showed only the lower sections of the vessel.
At Thursday’s event, Kim was accompanied by his daughter, widely seen as a potential successor, and also oversaw the test firing of long-range surface-to-air missiles.
Over the past month, Kim has attended the opening of several facilities, including factories and hotels, as North Korea moves to complete its current five-year development plan ahead of the ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, scheduled for early 2026.
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