Mick Hartley

Kim Jong-un makes his priorities clear, as his country starves:

North Korea has test-fired long-range cruise missiles potentially capable of sending a nuclear warhead to hit regional rivals, in a development decried as a “serious threat” to South Korea and Japan as Kim Jong-un expands his strike capabilities.

According to state media, two missiles travelled 930 miles and completed figure-of-eight manoeuvres during flights of more than two hours above North Korea and its territorial waters. By comparison, the UK’s Tomahawk cruise missiles can be launched from ships and submarines and strike targets from 1,000 miles away….

Cruise missile tests are not banned under UN resolutions and there was no sign that the projectiles entered the territory of North Korea’s neighbours. However, the test of such advanced and stealthy weapons is an ominous development in a region where rates of defence spending and the development of new weapons systems are threatening to develop into a new arms race.

The Indo-Pacific command of the US military said: “This activity highlights [North Korea’s] continuing focus on developing its military programme and the threats that poses to its neighbours and the international community. The US commitment to the defence of the [South Korea] and Japan remains ironclad.”

Katsunobu Kato, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, called the test “a serious threat to the peace and safety of Japan and its surrounding areas”. He added: “We are extremely concerned.”

The two missile tests were carried out on Saturday and Sunday, but not reported until this morning. Unlike ballistic missiles, which travel in a high trajectory close to the outer limits of the atmosphere, cruise missiles can fly close to sea and land, making it more difficult to detect them.

From the official Rodong Sinmun:

The development of the long-range cruise missile, a strategic weapon of great significance in meeting the key target of the five-year plan for the development of the defence science and the weapon system set forth at the 8th Congress of the Party, has been pushed forward according to the scientific and reliable weapon system development process for the past two years and, in this course, detailed tests of missile parts, scores of engine ground thrust tests, various flight tests, control and guidance tests, warhead power tests, etc. were conducted with success.

The development of this weapon system that has been powerfully pushed forward as a crucial work under the special concern of the Party Central Committee holds strategic significance of possessing another effective deterrence means for more reliably guaranteeing the security of our state and strongly containing the military maneuvers of the hostile forces against the DPRK….

Pak Jong Chon, upon authorization of the Party Central Committee, conveyed warm congratulations and thanks to the scientists in the field of defence science and the workers in the munitions field for succeeding in the development of the long-range cruise missiles.

The achievement is a bright fruition of our Party's policy of prioritizing defence science and technology and a signal success made in the defence field whose members are all out for implementing the decisions made at the 8th Congress of the Party, he noted. This is another great manifestation of the tremendous capabilities of the defence science and technology and the munitions industry of our country, he added.

He stressed the need for the field of the national defence science to go all out to increase the defence capabilities, the war deterrence of the country and keep making achievements in meeting the grand and long-term targets of securing war deterrence set forth at the 8th Congress of the Party.