Joint Chiefs Complete All 22 Outdoor Maneuver Exercises Postponed During August UFS
On December 28, the North Korean military conducted a long-range strategic cruise missile launch drill, observed by Chairman Kim Jong Un. Following the recent public unveiling of a nuclear submarine under construction, North Korea is showcasing its military achievements both domestically and internationally ahead of the 9th Workers' Party Congress scheduled for early next year.
According to the Korean Central News Agency on December 29, the North Korean military carried out a missile launch drill in the West Sea the previous day, with Chairman Kim in attendance. The agency reported, "The strategic cruise missiles flew along predetermined flight paths over the West Sea of Korea for 10,199 seconds and 10,203 seconds, striking their targets with precision."
The agency also reported that Chairman Kim expressed great satisfaction with the drill, stating it was "a practical verification and clear demonstration of the absolute reliability and combat power of our strategic counterattack capability."
The Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff also detected several cruise missile launches from the Sunan area near Pyongyang at around 8 a.m. the previous day. The Joint Chiefs stated, "In close cooperation with the United States, we were closely monitoring signs of North Korea's missile launches, and the intelligence authorities of both countries are conducting a detailed analysis of the specifications."
Im Eulchul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, commented, "This drill goes beyond a simple year-end show of force. It is an effort to finalize and maximize the pressure on the outside world by highlighting achievements in the defense sector ahead of the upcoming 9th Party Congress." He added, "With the 9th Party Congress as a turning point, North Korea is likely to accelerate the strengthening of its offensive nuclear combat capabilities and solidify its status as a nuclear-armed state."
Meanwhile, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that all 22 combined outdoor maneuver exercises, which had been postponed during the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise in August, have been completed by the end of the year. Previously, the South Korean military had postponed some outdoor maneuver exercises during the UFS exercise due to reasons such as the heat wave, as measures to ease inter-Korean tensions continued under the new administration.
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