North Korea’s Kim Jong Un leads missile test, stresses nuclear force readiness, KCNA says

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SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a test of a short-range ballistic missile and long-range artillery on Thursday and stressed the importance of combat readiness of the country’s nuclear forces, state media reported on Friday.

The test, which also included an inspection of the operational reliability of its “nuclear trigger” system, was designed to ensure the rapid response posture to counter the sensitive regional military climate, KCNA news agency said.

South Korea and Japan on Thursday reported multiple ballistic missiles were fired from North Korea’s east coast in what was believed to be a performance test of short-range missiles that had been already deployed.

KCNA said the 600 mm multiple launch rocket systems and tactical ballistic missile Hwasong-11 were mobilised for the test.

Hwasong-11 is known internationally as KN-23, a series of the North’s short-range ballistic missiles that Ukraine and Western officials have said were being supplied to Russia and used by Moscow to strike Ukraine.

Ahead of the missile launches, there was an inspection of a nuclear defense system, dubbed by the North as “nuclear trigger”, KCNA said.

“Kim Jong Un said that it is very important to steadily perfect the normal combat readiness of the nuclear force” to deter war and fight war, ” KCNA said.

“He said that the DPRK should continue to direct efforts to steadily improving the long-range precision striking capability and efficiency of weapons systems,” KCNA said, using the short form for the country’s official name.

A South Korean military official and an analyst said Thursday’s missile launches were was likely to test the performance of a short-range missile arsenal, possibly to upgrade them for export.

(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Leslie Adler and Michael Perry)