N Korea fires strategic cruise missile, Kim vows to defend with 'reliable nuke shield'

Seoul [South Korea]: North Korea has launched strategic cruise missiles in waters off its west coast to demonstrate the potential of its nuclear deterrence, local media reported. Leader Kim Jong-un has called for thorough war preparedness with the country's nuclear forces and their readiness for use.

Kim oversees missile launch

Kim oversaw the missile launch and called for permanently defending the country's sovereign right and security with a "reliable nuclear shield," Seoul's Yonhap cited the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

South Korea detects missile firing

South Korea's military confirmed the missile firing, noting it had detected multiple cruise missile launches toward the Yellow Sea at about 8 am on Wednesday. The missiles were being analyzed by South Korean and US intelligence authorities, according to Yonhap.

North Korea highlights counterattack capability

According to KCNA, the goal of the exercise was to showcase the Korean army's "counterattack capability in any space" and "the readiness of its various nuke operation means" against its perceived enemies. Kim stressed that "powerful striking ability" ensures "the most perfect deterrence and defence capacity," urging the nation to maintain "more thorough battle readiness of the nuclear force and full preparedness for their use." The missiles "precisely hit the targets after making a flight along a 1,587 km-long oval trajectory for 7,961-7,973 seconds."

Tensions rise ahead of US-South Korea drills

The development comes ahead of 'Freedom Shield,' a major military exercise between South Korea and the United States set to begin in March. Earlier this month, Kim blamed the US, Japan, and South Korea for escalating regional tensions, stating that their military cooperation has destabilized the security environment of North Korea.

North Korea reaffirms nuclear stance

Kim accused US-led nuclear war exercises and trilateral military cooperation of creating "a new conflicting structure" in Northeast Asia. Meanwhile, after the White House reiterated its goal of "complete denuclearization of North Korea," Pyongyang responded by declaring its nuclear weapons are not a "bargaining chip" but are meant for combat use against any perceived invasion attempts.

(With ANI Inputs)