North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the official unveiling of a new multiple rocket launcher capable of firing nuclear warheads, state media reported Thursday, February 19. The ceremony took place the previous day in Pyongyang.
According to the official KCNA news agency, Kim Jong-un praised a 600-millimeter multiple launch missile system, which he described as unique in the world. He said it would be "suitable for a special attack, that is, for carrying out a strategic mission," a phrase regularly used by the regime to refer to the use of nuclear weapons.
The North Korean leader claimed that this new weapon was intended as a "deterrent" and that it was invincible. "If this weapon is used, no one can hope to have God's protection," he declared, according to KCNA.
Last month, during a visit to the factory producing these multiple missile launchers, officials and experts estimated that they could be deployed against South Korea, including against its capital, Seoul, located less than 50 kilometers from the inter-Korean border.
According to several analysts, this new equipment aims to enhance North Korea's precision strike capabilities and increase pressure on Seoul and Washington. Its unveiling could precede testing, or even potential export to Russia, in a context of closer ties between Pyongyang and Moscow since the start of the war in Ukraine.
