North Korea Conducts ‘Nuclear Strike’ Drill

By Staff, Agencies

The North Korean military carried out a simulated nuclear attack on South Korea on Wednesday, in response to “adventurous aggressive war exercises” of the government in Seoul with the US.

The Korean People’s Army “staged a tactical nuclear strike drill simulating scorched-earth strikes at major command centers and operational airfields of the ‘ROK’ military gangsters on Wednesday night,” the official KCNA agency reported, citing a statement by the KPA general staff.

The “tactical nuclear-armed unit of the KPA” fired two ballistic missiles and “correctly carried out its nuclear strike mission through air bursts at a preset altitude of 400 meters above the target island,” the statement added.

The drill was undertaken in response to Wednesday’s flight of South Korean fighter jets with American B-1B strategic bombers, which came over from the US as part of the Ulchi Freedom Shield war games. The B-1B Lancer can carry nuclear weapons, and has taken part in drills with South Korea since November 2022.

According to the KPA general staff, however, the bombers were practicing a “preemptive nuclear strike” against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [DPRK].

Pyongyang’s nuclear drill is “aimed to send a clear message to the enemies,” the KPA said, “and make them clearly realize once again the DPRK's resolute punitive will and substantive retaliation capabilities.”