North Korea conducted exercises to improve tactical nuclear capabilities on March 18-19. This was reported on March 19 by the Reuters news with reference to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
According to North Korea, the missile had previously flown 800 km before hitting its target. Pyongyang said the US and South Korea are expanding joint military exercises “aimed at North Korea” and including US nuclear assets.
In addition, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that the country must be ready to use nuclear weapons at any time to prevent war.
The North Korean missile launch towards the Sea of Japan became known on March 19. Presumably it was ballistic. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea, the rocket was launched from the area of the Dongchangni missile range around 11:05 local time (5:05 Moscow time). It is noted that the rocket flew about 800 km.
On the same day, Japan’s Deputy Defense Minister Toshiro Ino protested to the leadership of the DPRK after the missile tests posed a threat to the country’s security. This is the ninth missile test by North Korea since the beginning of this year.
In addition, the heads of the diplomatic departments of the G7 member countries jointly condemned the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by North Korea. The document emphasizes that since last year, North Korea has recorded a record increase in the number of missile tests, as well as aggressive destabilizing rhetoric.
