SEOUL, Feb 19: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over a ceremony Thursday to roll out 50 new launch vehicles for nuclear-capable short-range missiles aimed at South Korea, showcasing his growing military might just before a key Workers’ Party congress.
In a separate statement, Kim’s influential sister and foreign policy aide, Kim Yo Jong, accepted a South Korean minister’s apology for alleged civilian drone flights over the border but warned that Pyongyang is ramping up security against its “enemy” to the south.
Ties between the Koreas have been frozen since 2019, when Kim’s nuclear talks with then-U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed amid sanctions. Things have soured further as Kim ditched hopes of peaceful reunification, opting instead for a permanent “two hostile states” doctrine – one he might enshrine in the party’s constitution at the upcoming congress.
State media photos captured rows of the launcher trucks parked near the April 25th House of Culture, site of past party gatherings in 2016 and 2021. The Korean Central News Agency described them as supports for 600-mm multiple rocket launchers. Experts note these powerful artillery rockets act like short-range ballistic missiles, with their own thrust and guidance, bolstering Kim’s arsenal of nukes designed to saturate South Korean defenses.
In his speech, Kim hailed the “wonderful” systems for their artificial intelligence and precision guidance, perfect for “strategic missions” – code for nuclear strikes. He added that the congress would outline fresh plans to supercharge his nuclear forces, which already threaten U.S. allies in Asia and could one day hit the American mainland.
Kim Yo Jong, meanwhile, praised South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young’s apology for the drone incursions but stressed that North Korea’s military would hit back hard if they happen again. “A border with an enemy state must be ironclad,” she said, vowing tighter surveillance.
Chung had floated reviving a 2018 inter-Korean pact to ease border tensions, including a no-fly zone, after North Korea’s threats last month over supposed drone flights in September and January. Seoul denies any official involvement but is probing three civilians accused of sending drones from border areas.
