The North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, oversaw the testing of a new type of “ground-to-sea missile” according to official media reports as part of efforts to enhance the maritime border security of the country.
The North Korean Central News Agency stated today, Thursday, that Kim supervised the “evaluation of the test launch of the new type of Pakdasori-6 ground-to-sea missile that will be equipped by the naval forces.”
The agency reported that Kim expressed “great satisfaction with the results of the missile launch test,” adding that the missiles hit their intended targets after flying over the East Sea.
The agency quoted Kim as saying that South Korea “violates the sovereignty of North Korea by insisting on the northern border line,” and ordered to enhance military readiness in the waters north of Yonpyeong Island and west of the Korean peninsula in the northern border line area.
Kim stated, “It does not matter how many lines are in the West Sea of Korea when the enemy crosses the maritime borders that we recognize, we consider it a violation of the sovereignty of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and an armed provocation against it.”
Kim criticized “Seoul’s desperate efforts to preserve the northern limit boundary,” vowing that his country “will fully defend its maritime sovereignty with the power of arms and actions, not with any rhetoric.”
Earlier this year, Kim stated that he would no longer recognize the northern border limit, and according to the Korean Central News Agency report, he referred to the actual borders as “imaginary borders with no basis in international law.”
It is worth noting that the maritime boundaries between the two countries, officially known as the “Northern Limit Line,” have not been demarcated yet, and this line has been the site of previous clashes between the Koreas.
Pyongyang also intensified weapon trials, including launching a series of cruise missiles, testing a “submarine-launched ballistic missile system,” and launching a solid-fuel supersonic ballistic missile. The South Korean army announced yesterday that it had detected the launch of several cruise missiles from the northern side.
Nuclear-armed North Korea declared this year that Seoul is its “main enemy,” and shut down agencies dedicated to reunification and communication, while threatening war in case of the slightest violation of its territories.
Russia’s Concern
North Korean official media reported today, Thursday, that Kim also visited a “large” ammunition factory and reviewed the details of the production update process.
Kim’s visit to the ammunition factory comes at a time when the United States and its allies accuse North Korea of trading weapons with Russia.
The White House stated last month that Russia had recently used short-range ballistic missiles from North Korea to launch attacks against Ukraine, citing declassified intelligence information.
The launch of cruise missiles has led experts to speculate that the North is testing weapons before shipping them to Moscow for use in Ukraine.
Pyongyang and Moscow have strengthened their ties in recent months, with Kim making a rare visit to Russia in September last year to meet with President Vladimir Putin.
