All articles tagged with #kcna
North Korea announced the opening of a new facility for producing weapons-grade uranium, claiming it will dramatically accelerate production and expand its nuclear arsenal; Kim Jong Un visited the site and pledged to boost deterrence, but the exact location, capacity, and start date were not disclosed.
Kim Jong Un oversaw North Korea’s first publicly disclosed firings of anti-ship missiles from the 5,000-ton Choe Hyon destroyer, along with two strategic cruise missiles, as part of operational-efficiency tests. KCNA said all missiles hit targets; cruise missiles flew about two hours and 11 minutes, anti-ship missiles about 32 minutes and 40 seconds. The tests highlight the ship’s nuclear-capable systems, with construction continuing on the third (and possibly fourth) Choe Hyon-class destroyers.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised missile launches from a newly described naval destroyer, according to KCNA, in a display of military capability; independent journalists were not allowed to verify the event and the location was undisclosed.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in Pyongyang for talks with Choe Son Hui, said North Korea has made remarkable accomplishments despite conspiracies by the United States and Western forces to oppress and isolate Pyongyang, KCNA reported. The pair praised their leaders, pledged to upgrade bilateral relations for the people’s benefit after a historic summit, and noted ongoing efforts to revive political and economic ties amid a volatile global environment; Xi is expected to host Trump next month.
North Korea said its three-day weapons tests this week included ballistic missiles armed with cluster-munition warheads, along with anti-aircraft and electromagnetic weapons. South Korea reported missiles launched from the eastern coast traveled about 240–700 km, and KCNA described the cluster-warhead launches on Hwasong-11 missiles as capable of destroying large areas. Seoul did not immediately comment. Pyongyang has suspended much diplomacy with Seoul and Washington while pursuing a broader nuclear-capable arsenal, as China’s Wang Yi prepares for a visit to the North.
North Korea said it respects Iran’s selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader and condemned the US-Israel attack as illegal, while KCNA reported Kim Jong Un overseeing cruise missile tests from the Choe Hyon destroyer as Pyongyang emphasizes its nuclear deterrent.
North Korea's KCNA criticizes Japan for considering the possession of nuclear weapons, urging it to be thoroughly curbed, amid Japan's review of non-nuclear principles and increased U.S. support for South Korea's nuclear ambitions.