North Korea tests nuclear-capable multiple launch rocket system

North Korea announced it fired a 600 mm multiple launch rocket system capable of carrying nuclear warheads, hitting targets more than 360 km away.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un directly supervised the test on 14/3, which involved 12 "super-precision, 600 mm caliber" multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported today.

Kim stated the exercise would make Pyongyang's adversaries within a 420 km radius "wary and more aware of the destructive power of tactical nuclear weapons." He emphasized that tactical nuclear weapons are small warheads designed for localized devastation on the battlefield, rather than widespread destruction.

Photos released by KCNA showed Kim and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, his potential successor, observing the launch from a distance. The projectiles struck targets on an island east of North Korea, over 360 km from their launch point.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (black jacket), with his daughter Kim Ju-ae, supervises the 14/3 test launch. Photo: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (black jacket), with his daughter Kim Ju-ae, supervises the 14/3 test launch. Photo: KCNA

Kim praised the MLRS system as a "very deadly yet attractive" weapon.

North Korean media reported the drill a day after the South Korean military announced it detected 10 ballistic missiles launched from North Korea's Sunan area into the Sea of Japan.

However, it remains unclear if these multiple launch rocket system projectiles are the "ballistic missiles" South Korea referred to.

The MLRS test took place days after the South Korean and US militaries commenced their "Freedom Shield" spring exercise, scheduled to run until 19/3. The launch also occurred just hours after South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok stated that US President Donald Trump believed a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would be positive.

North Korean MLRS systems fire during the 14/3 exercise. Photo: KCNA

North Korean MLRS systems fire during the 14/3 exercise. Photo: KCNA

In recent months, the Trump administration has sought to resume high-level talks with Pyongyang, aiming for a potential summit with Kim this year.

After a long period of largely ignoring these overtures, Kim recently indicated that the two countries could reconcile if Washington accepted Pyongyang's status as a nuclear power.

Technically, North and South Korea remain in a state of war, as the 1950-1953 conflict concluded with an armistice, not a peace treaty. Tensions between the two nations are frequently high, with North Korea accelerating weapons tests and issuing deterrent messages, while South Korea increases joint exercises with its US ally.