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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country’s recent missile tests are “necessary” due to what he described as a growing geopolitical crisis and increasingly complex international developments.
Kim’s remarks came after North Korea launched multiple hypersonic missiles over the weekend, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
KCNA reported that the missiles were launched on Sunday from the Ryokpho district of Pyongyang Municipality toward the northeast, striking targets at a distance of approximately 1,000 kilometers (621 miles).
Kim said the launch confirmed that a “very important technology task for national defense has been carried out,” adding that it demonstrated the readiness of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear forces.
Kim said that recent developments showed “important achievements” in placing North Korea’s nuclear forces on a practical footing and preparing them for actual combat conditions.
“Important achievements have been recently made in putting our nuclear forces on a practical basis and preparing them for an actual war,” he said.
He added that Pyongyang must continue to upgrade its military capabilities, with a particular focus on offensive weapon systems.
“To be honest,” Kim said during the missile launch, “our such activity is clearly aimed at gradually putting the nuclear war deterrent on a highly developed basis.”
He stressed that the necessity of the missile tests is illustrated by “the recent geopolitical crisis and complicated international events.”
Kim’s comments followed a US pre-dawn raid on Venezuela on Saturday in which the country’s president and first lady were captured and later flown to New York, according to the report.
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