North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the nation's first combined tactical exercise, which simulated a nuclear counterattack and involved super-large multiple rocket units, the official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday.
The report on Monday's drill came after Japan and South Korea detected the launch of at least one ballistic missile from Pyongyang toward the Sea of Japan. The exercise was a "clear warning signal to the enemies," KCNA said in reference to South Korea and the United States, which have been conducting joint military exercises since April 12.
The super-large multiple rocket launchers accurately hit an island target within a range of 352 kilometers, and Kim expressed "great satisfaction over the result of the drill," the news agency added.
The exercise has prepared the North Korean military to carry out an important strategic task "in a rapid and thorough counterattack posture," Kim was quoted as saying.
Japan said Monday that a missile, launched at around 3 p.m., was estimated to have flown more than 250 km, while South Korea put the range of what it presumed to be several short-range ballistic missiles at approximately 300 km.
KCNA said the drill was conducted simulating a scenario in which the country's "greatest nuclear crisis alarm" was issued, prompting super-large multiple rocket launcher units to fire shells tipped with mock nuclear warheads.
North Korea's official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, ran a photo showing super-large rocket shells being fired from four mobile launchers simultaneously.
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