Kim oversees cruise missile launch as North Korea touts nuclear readiness

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of long-range strategic cruise missiles on Sunday, which confirmed the integrity of the country’s nuclear power and counter-attack readiness in the face of security threats, state media KCNA said on Monday.

The launch is the latest event attended by Kim in a flurry of activity by the North Korean leader to underscore the country’s military and economic progress ahead of a key ruling party congress expected to be held in early 2026.

Kim expressed “great satisfaction” as the cruise missiles flew along their orbit above the sea west of the Korean Peninsula and hit their target, KCNA said.

Kim said that “checking the reliability and rapid response of the components of the DPRK’s nuclear deterrent on a regular basis … (is) just a responsible exercise”, as the country “is facing various security threats”, using North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

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He affirmed that North Korea would continue devoting all its efforts to the “unlimited” development of its nuclear combat force, KCNA added.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Monday that its military had detected the launch of multiple cruise missiles at around 8 a.m. on Sunday (2300 Saturday GMT) from the Sunan area near Pyongyang.

A series of military activities by the North in the past week, including ongoing work to build a nuclear-powered submarine, are “activities that undermine peace and stability on the Korean peninsula”, a South Korean defence ministry spokesperson said.

Sunday’s launch followed a KCNA report last week that Kim had observed the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine with his daughter, a possible successor, and oversaw the test-firing of long-range surface-to-air missiles.

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North Korea could conduct additional missile tests around New Year’s Day, Yonhap news agency said, citing a South Korean military official. South Korea’s military declined to comment on the possibility of further launches.

Hong Min, an expert on North Korea at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said Sunday’s launch was likely intended to test an upgraded cruise missile capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear weapons.

Kim also attended the opening ceremony of a paper mill on Sunday, KCNA said.

Over the past month, Kim has attended multiple openings of facilities including factories and hotels, as the country races to wrap up its current five-year development plan before convening the Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea in early 2026.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)