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S. Korea Downplays the North's "Nuke Trigger" Tactical Drills

Written: 2024-04-23 15:37:29Updated: 2024-04-24 10:41:15

S. Korea Downplays the North's

Photo : YONHAP News

Anchor: North Korea's state-run media has claimed that the regime conducted a tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack. This came a day after the North fired short-range missiles into the East Sea. While the North said that the projectiles were tipped with mock nuclear warheads and proved its precision striking capabilities, the South Korean military said that the North has not finished developing mini warheads they can place on short-range missiles. 
Kim Bum-soo has more.  

Report: 

[Sound bite: Korean Central TV news reader]

A day after the South Korean military detected short-range missile launches near Pyongyang, North Korea claimed on Tuesday that the weapons launch was a tactical nuclear counterattack drill.

Along with images of the weapons launch, state-run media in Pyongyang said that the so-called "Nuclear Trigger” drill was supervised by Kim Jong-un.  

[Sound bite: Korean Central TV news reader  (Apr. 23 / Korean-English)] 
"Dear Leader Kim Jong-un expressed his great satisfaction with the training results, likening the high-level of accuracy to military snipers... "  

The North released photos of four rockets soaring from mobile launchers, claiming that the short-range weapons were carrying mock nuclear warheads.    

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said, however, that the North's claims are exaggerated.

[Souund bite: Col. Lee Sung Joon - Spokesperson, S. Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (Korean-English)]
"We think they are exaggerating. There are many things that seem untrue."
"The military believes North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launch was a response to ongoing South Korea-U.S air drills, aiming to fill a gap caused by the delay of its spy satellite, and also to carry out a performance test for the export of super-large multi rocket launchers."

The South Korean Defense Ministry said that the North is not yet capable of miniaturizing its tactical warheads to fit them on its short-range rockets. 

The 400-kilometer range rocket, which the allied forces of South Korea and the U.S. call KN-25, can hit the Gyeryongdae headquarters of the South Korean Armed Forces branches when fired from the Pyongyang area. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.

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