“The strategic readiness of our army has been qualitatively enhanced thanks to various recent achievements in the field of defense science,” Kim said during Sunday's drills. He added that “steadily and without limits strengthening a powerful and reliable nuclear deterrent” is a “top priority.”
North Korea checked the destroyer
North Korea's KCNA news agency reported that two strategic cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles were successfully fired from the ship. The flights took place along designated trajectories over the Yellow Sea, and the missiles hit the targets “with extraordinary precision,” the agency emphasized. The message noted that the test was intended to check the destroyer's integrated weapons command system and confirm the effectiveness of the improved active navigation system, which is supposed to be resistant to interference.
As reported by Yonhap news agency, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the flights of multiple missiles fired over an area of water near the western coastal city of Nampo on Sunday morning.
North Korea demonstrates strength. The first such test
Analysts point out the novelty of these attempts and the broader geopolitical context. Shin Jong-woo, secretary general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum (KODEF), noted that Pyongyang revealed for the first time the test of anti-ship missiles from the destroyer Choe Hyon. He also pointed out that publicizing this event may constitute an attempt to demonstrate military power in the international arena, especially in the face of growing tensions between the United States and Iran over control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
