[Anchor]
North Korea said the ballistic missile launches it carried out on Saturday were part of a "600 mm ultra-precision rocket artillery" fire-strike drill.
Kim Jong Un observed the exercise on site with his daughter Juae and warned that if foreign invasion cannot be deterred, the system — which he described as a "tactical nuclear weapon" — would be used as a means of destructive attack.
This is Ahn Chaerin.
[Reporter]
A North Korean artillery unit conducted a fire-strike drill using 12 600 mm ultra-precision multiple-rocket launchers.
State media said the rockets struck island targets in the East Sea at a range of 364.4 km with a reported 100% hit rate.
Kim Jong Un watched the rocket firing exercise on site with his daughter Juae.
He emphasized the system is intended to strike the South and can carry tactical nuclear warheads.
Korean Central Television said, "This exercise will unsettle adversaries within a 420 km radius and convey the destructive power of tactical nuclear weapons."
The broadcast also asserted that no tactical weapon in the world exceeds the performance of this system and pledged to secure stable peace through strong military power.
Korean Central Television warned, "If we fail to prevent foreign armed provocation and invasion, these defensive systems (600 mm rocket launchers) will immediately assume a second mission — to be used as instruments of massive destruction."
Earlier, South Korea's military said North Korea launched roughly 10 ballistic missiles from the Sunan area into the East Sea; the missiles traveled about 350 km.
South Korean and U.S. military authorities classify 600 mm rocket launchers as short-range ballistic missiles.
Analysts view the barrage of launches as a show of force in response to the joint "Shield of Freedom" exercises the U.S. and South Korea have been conducting since the 9th.
This is Ahn Chaerin for Yonhap News TV.
[Video editing: Park Eun-jun]
[News Review]
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Ahn Chaerin (chaerin163@yna.co.kr)
