In a show of force, North Korea has fired two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine just before the United States and South Korea began their largest joint military exercises in five years.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the the missile launches showed North Korea resolve to respond with overwhelming powerful forces to so-called military manoeuvres by the US and North Korea.
It further added that North Korea aims to arm the cruise missiles tested with nuclear warheads.
Pyongyang views military exercises between the US and South Korea as rehearsals for invasion and argues its nuclear weapons and missile programmes are necessary for self-defence.
The latest exercises include a computer simulation called Freedom Shield 23 and several combined field training exercises, collectively known as Warrior Shield FTX.
The drills are scheduled to continue for at least 10 days and will focus on the changing security environment amid North Korea’s increasing nuclear threats.
“North Korean cruise missiles launched from a submarine represent a threat the United States and its allies must take seriously,” Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said in emailed comments.
Earlier, South Korea’s military said it had detected the launch from a submarine in waters near North Korea’s eastern coast. The North Korean port city has a major submarine-building shipyard.
Experts say Kim is trying to pressure the US into accepting North Korea as a legitimate nuclear power and relaxing international sanctions that are crippling its economy.
Washington has repeatedly restated its strong commitment to defending South Korea, including using the “full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear”.
