Kim Jong-un "Ready to Use Nuclear Weapons Anytime"
North Korea Conducts Nuclear Airburst Strike... Emphasizes Combat Capability
Advanced Weapon Systems... "There Will Be Deception but Concerns Over Response"
Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, directed the nuclear weapons armament project and ordered to "expand the production of weapons-grade nuclear material." North Korea also abruptly revealed photos presumed to be of 'tactical nuclear warheads' mounted on short-range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, showcasing its nuclear weapons' operational capability and maximizing the nuclear threat against the South.
On the 28th, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that "(Chairman Kim Jong-un) received a report from the DPRK Nuclear Weapons Research Institute on the recent annual progress and production status aimed at qualitatively strengthening the Republic's nuclear forces according to the direction of nuclear weapons development and strategic policies."
According to the report, Chairman Kim stated, "Only when a powerful and superior nuclear force beyond imagination is equipped with an offensive posture will the enemy fear us and dare not touch our sovereignty, system, and people," adding, "We must prospectively expand the production of weapons-grade nuclear material and accelerate the production of continuously powerful nuclear weapons."
Kim Jong-un directs nuclear weapons armament project... "Expansion of weapons-grade nuclear material production" [Image source=Yonhap News]
The report also claimed that regarding the missile provocation carried out by the North the previous day, "a training demonstration firing of the 'nuclear airburst strike method,' assuming a nuclear attack, was conducted," and "a test warhead simulating a nuclear warhead exploded in the air at 500 meters above the target." Additionally, photos presumed to be of tactical nuclear warheads were abruptly released. The tactical nuclear warhead revealed that day is estimated to have a diameter of 40 to 50 cm, painted overall in military green with only the front part painted red. This is interpreted as an intention to boast progress in miniaturization sufficient to be mounted on the solid-fuel SRBMs frequently launched since last year, such as the super-large multiple rocket launcher (KN-25), the North Korean version of ATACMS (KN-24), and the North Korean version of Iskander (KN-23).
Earlier, military authorities detected two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) launched by North Korea from the Junghwa area in North Hwanghae Province toward the East Sea for about 10 minutes starting at 7:47 a.m. the previous day.
North Korea also announced that it conducted tests of underwater strategic weapon systems from the 25th to the 27th. Following the initial disclosure of an underwater explosion test of the underwater nuclear torpedo 'Haeil' from the 21st to the 23rd, it claimed to have conducted additional tests. The report stated, "The nuclear unmanned underwater attack vehicle 'Haeil-1' deployed for the test in Wonsan Bay submerged for 41 hours and 27 minutes along a simulated sawtooth and elliptical course over a distance of 600 km set in the East Sea, reaching the designated target waters off Hwadae County, North Hamgyong Province, on the morning of the 27th, where the test warhead was precisely detonated underwater."
North Korea "Underwater explosion test of nuclear unmanned underwater attack vehicle from 21st to 23rd" ... Kim Jong-un attended [Image source=Yonhap News]
Regarding the North's claim that the warhead was "precisely detonated underwater," South Korean military authorities are placing more weight on the possibility that the claim is somewhat exaggerated or fabricated. However, concerns are rising over North Korea's recent enhancement of nuclear and missile capabilities and expansion of weapon systems. If the North's claims are accurate, there will be clear limits to the South Korean military's conventional weapon response, and even if the claims are exaggerated, military buildup due to diversification of weapon systems cannot be avoided.
Jung Sung-jang, head of the Unification Strategy Research Division at the Sejong Institute, assessed, "Even if the nuclear unmanned underwater attack vehicle is currently in its initial stage, it cannot be ruled out that it will be sufficiently threatening and deployed in actual combat in the near future," adding, "While North Korea's nuclear capabilities are advancing, our military's counterattack and defense capabilities are not keeping pace. There are clear limitations in responding with conventional weapons." He also expressed concern, stating, "Especially the fact that Kim Jong-un personally visited the nuclear weapons research institute can be interpreted as a signal that the seventh nuclear test is imminent."
Park Won-gon, a professor in the Department of North Korean Studies at Ewha Womans University, analyzed, "Since the time before last month's South Korea-U.S. joint exercises, North Korea has continuously emphasized 'actual deployment,' showing some exaggeration and display to highlight differences from previous times," adding, "There may also be political motives amid the ongoing economic difficulties internally." He pointed out that North Korea is engaging in a 'recognition struggle' rather than posing a practical threat. However, Professor Park warned, "While there may be considerable deception in the advancement of weapon systems, regardless of the truth, the diversification of weapons will create limiting factors such as increased costs and investments for our military."
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