North Korea touts weapons test as enhancement of its nuclear capabilities

North Korean leader Kim Jong-unhas observed the test firing of a new type of tactical guidedweapon aimed at boosting the country's nuclear capabilities, theNorth's KCNA state news agency reported on Sunday.

The report comes amid signs North Korea could soon resumenuclear testing according to South Korean and U.S. officials andafter Kim broke a self-imposed moratorium on intercontinentalballistic missile (ICBM) testing with a launch last month.

South Korea's military said on Sunday it had detected twoprojectiles launched on Saturday from the North's east coast towardthe sea. The projectiles flew about 110 kilometreswith an apogee of 25 kilometres and maximum speed of less than Mach 4, indicating they were short-range missiles.

The KCNA report gave no details on the launch but linked itto the North's nuclear objectives.

"The new-type tactical guided weapon system ... is of greatsignificance in drastically improving the firepower of the front-line long-range artillery units and enhancing theefficiency in the operation of tactical nukes," KCNA said.

Missiles designed to evade defences

North Korea has been developing short-range ballisticmissiles that analysts say are designed to evade missiledefences and strike targets in the South in the event of a war.

On April 5, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim,said North Korea opposes war but would use nuclear weapons tostrike South Korea if attacked, in a warning seen aimed at theSouth's incoming conservative president, Yoon Suk-yeol.

A Yoon spokesperson, Bae Hyun-jin, said there was nothingnew or surprising in the North's "show of force" as a new administration comes in.

South Korea's current president Moon Jae-in, who will leaveoffice on May 10, has received real-time briefings on the North's missile launch, his office said.

Ankit Panda, senior fellow at the U.S.-based CarnegieEndowment for International Peace, said the weapon appears to bethe North's first tactical nuclear weapons delivery system,while pointing to indications of work to restore North Korea'sPunggye-ri nuclear test site.

"You don't have to be particularly imaginative to put thistwo and two together," Panda said.

North able to miniaturize nuclear weapons

U.S. and South Korean officials have noted activity at thePunggye-ri site which could be preparations for a test, althoughthe timing and nature of that were unclear.

As early as 2017, the U.S. Defence Intelligence Agencyassessed that North Korea was able to miniaturize nuclear weapons across the spectrum of its missiles, from short-rangeballistic missiles to ICBMs.

Kim Jong-un in January 2021 said the country was able to"miniaturize, lighten and standardize nuclear weapons and to make them tactical ones." He also outlined goals of developingother weapons such as hypersonic missiles and spy satellites,which have been tested this year.

Duyeon Kim, a North Korea expert at the U.S.-based Centerfor a New American Security, said the timing could be taken as aprotest against anticipated joint U.S.-South Korea militarydrills.

The United States and South Korea plan to launch the annualspringtime exercise on Monday for a nine-day run, South Korea'sJoint Chiefs of Staff said.

On Saturday the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, based in SouthKorea, shared photos of troops test-firing a multiple launch rocket system, although the timing of the event was notindicated.

A U.S. Defence Department spokesperson on Sundayacknowledged the latest missile test. "We are aware of the North Korean statement that they conducted a test of a long-rangeartillery system," Lt. Col. Marty Meiners said.

U.S. nuclear envoy Sung Kim will visit Seoul on Monday todiscuss a response to the North's recent missile launches withhis South Korean counterparts.

Kim has said the United States is open to talks withoutpreconditions but Pyongyang has rebuffed those overtures, accusing Washington of hostile policies evidenced by sanctionsand military drills.

On Friday, North Korea celebrated the 110th anniversary ofthe birth of state founder Kim Il-sung.