North Korea Tests Hwasong-17 Missile... Kim Jong-un Says "Nuclear Will Be Met with Nuclear"

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] North Korea conducted a test launch of the new intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-17 under the leadership of Chairman Kim Jong-un on the 18th.

On the 19th, the Korean Central News Agency stated, "Amid the strict implementation of our Party and the Republic's government's top priority defense construction strategy to continuously enhance ultra-powerful and absolute nuclear deterrence, the test launch of the new intercontinental ballistic missile of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's strategic forces was carried out on the 18th." It added that Chairman Kim Jong-un personally supervised the test launch on site.

"This test launch was carried out under an unignorable situation where the reckless military confrontation provocations by the United States and hostile forces, persistently pushing the military-political situation on the Korean Peninsula to a dangerous brink, have exceeded limits and hypocritical and robber-like sophistries that denounce even the sovereign nation's right to self-defense as provocations are being rationalized even on the UN stage," it explained.

Chairman Kim stated, "We have once again confirmed that our nuclear forces have secured another reliable and strongest capability capable of deterring any nuclear threat."

He added, "The dangerously blatant military threats by the United States and hostile forces around our country recently demand us to urgently accelerate the substantial enhancement of overwhelming nuclear deterrence."

The agency reported that Chairman Kim declared, "We must clearly demonstrate our Party and government's strong retaliatory will against the enemies' war exercises mania aimed at destroying peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the region," and "The more the American imperialists persist in 'strengthening extended deterrence provision' to their allies and war exercises, and flaunt military posturing on the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas, the more our military response will become offensive."

In particular, Chairman Kim solemnly declared, "If the enemies continue to brazenly bring in nuclear strike means and threaten us, our Party and the Republic's government will resolutely respond with nuclear for nuclear, and direct confrontation for direct confrontation," the agency emphasized.

The agency explained, "The new intercontinental ballistic missile 'Hwasong-17,' launched from Pyongyang International Airport, ascended to a maximum apogee of 6,040.9 km, flew a distance of 999.2 km for 4,135 seconds, and accurately landed in the designated area on the high seas of the East Sea of Korea."

Meanwhile, the agency confirmed that Chairman Kim Jong-un "personally came out to the test launch site with his beloved son and wife," revealing that Chairman Kim's daughter accompanied him. This is the first time that Chairman Kim's daughter has appeared in a public setting.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.