{"id":67487,"date":"2026-06-28T13:46:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T13:46:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/67487\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T13:46:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T13:46:13","slug":"north-korean-leader-kim-oversees-weapons-tests-to-bolster-firepower-along-border-kcna-says-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/67487\/","title":{"rendered":"North Korean leader Kim oversees weapons tests to bolster firepower along border, KCNA says"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>                        <img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"hight\" src=\"https:\/\/cdnx.premiumread.com\/?url=https:\/\/gulf-times.com\/gulftimes\/uploads\/images\/2026\/06\/27\/462021.jpg&amp;w=800&amp;q=100&amp;f=webp\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid rounded\" alt=\" North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) inspecting weapons at North Korea's National Defense Science Research Institute. (AFP)\" title=\" North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) inspecting weapons at North Korea's National Defense Science Research Institute. (AFP)\" onerror=\"this.src=\"\/><\/p>\n<p> North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) inspecting weapons at North Korea&#8217;s National Defense Science Research Institute. (AFP)<\/p>\n<p>North\u00a0Korean\u00a0leader\u00a0Kim\u00a0Jong-un\u00a0oversaw\u00a0tests\u00a0of\u00a0key\u00a0\u200cweapons\u00a0on\u00a0Thursday\u00a0as\u00a0part\u00a0of\u00a0\u200bthe\u00a0country&#8217;s\u00a0goal\u00a0to\u00a0\u200cmodernise\u00a0its\u00a0missile\u00a0programme\u00a0and\u00a0bolster\u00a0firepower\u00a0along\u00a0\u200cthe\u00a0southern\u00a0\u2060border\u00a0\u200cwith\u00a0South\u00a0Korea,\u00a0state\u00a0media\u00a0\u200cKCNA\u00a0reported\u00a0on\u00a0Friday.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0tests,\u00a0conducted\u00a0on\u00a0\u2060the\u00a0anniversary\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0outbreak\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a01950-53\u00a0Korean\u00a0War,\u00a0involved\u00a0an\u00a0upgraded\u00a0version\u00a0of\u00a0a\u00a0240-mm,\u00a024-tube\u00a0multiple\u00a0rocket\u00a0launcher\u00a0system,\u00a0tactical\u00a0ballistic\u00a0missiles,\u00a0and\u00a0a\u00a0155-mm\u00a0self-propelled\u00a0howitzer,\u00a0KCNA\u00a0said.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0upgraded\u00a0rocket\u00a0launcher\u00a0is\u00a0equipped\u00a0with\u00a0an\u00a0\u200bautonomous\u00a0precision\u00a0guidance\u00a0system,\u00a0with\u00a0its\u00a0firing\u00a0range\u00a0extended\u00a0to\u00a090\u00a0kilometres\u00a0(56\u00a0miles),\u00a0the\u00a0media\u00a0report\u00a0said.<\/p>\n<p>Kim,\u00a0expressing\u00a0\u200csatisfaction\u00a0with\u00a0the\u00a0test\u00a0\u2060results,\u00a0said\u00a0Pyongyang\u00a0\u200bwas\u00a0pursuing\u00a0automation,\u00a0long-range\u00a0capability\u00a0and\u00a0&#8220;ultra-precision&#8221;\u00a0\u200bin\u00a0its\u00a0weapons\u00a0programmes,\u00a0according\u00a0to\u00a0KCNA.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0goal\u00a0is\u00a0for\u00a0its\u00a0defence\u00a0along\u00a0its\u00a0southern\u00a0border,\u00a0Kim\u00a0said,\u00a0effectively\u00a0referring\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0one\u00a0with\u00a0South\u00a0Korea.<\/p>\n<p>In\u00a0May,\u00a0North\u00a0Korea\u00a0said\u00a0it\u00a0had\u00a0tested\u00a0a\u00a0mix\u00a0of\u00a0tactical\u00a0ballistic\u00a0missiles,\u00a0artillery\u00a0rockets\u00a0and\u00a0AI-guided\u00a0precision\u00a0cruise\u00a0missiles\u00a0designed\u00a0for\u00a0modern\u00a0warfare.<\/p>\n<p>Pyongyang\u00a0\u200chas\u00a0been\u00a0steadily\u00a0\u200cupgrading\u00a0its\u00a0tactical\u00a0\u2060and\u00a0conventional\u00a0arsenal,\u00a0vowing\u00a0to\u00a0deploy\u00a0weapons\u00a0near\u00a0the\u00a0\u2060border\u00a0with\u00a0South\u00a0\u2060Korea.<\/p>\n<p>Lim\u00a0Eul-chul,\u00a0a\u00a0professor\u00a0at\u00a0Kyungnam\u00a0University\u2019s\u00a0Institute\u00a0for\u00a0Far\u00a0Eastern\u00a0Studies,\u00a0said\u00a0the\u00a0moves\u00a0point\u00a0to\u00a0accelerating\u00a0efforts\u00a0to\u00a0fortify\u00a0the\u00a0southern\u00a0border\u00a0and\u00a0integrate\u00a0nuclear\u00a0and\u00a0conventional\u00a0forces\u00a0as\u00a0North\u00a0Korea\u00a0\u200bcements\u00a0what\u00a0it\u00a0calls\u00a0a\u00a0relationship\u00a0of\u00a0two\u00a0hostile\u00a0states.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The\u00a0intent\u00a0is\u00a0ultimately\u00a0to\u00a0fully\u00a0establish\u00a0tactical\u00a0nuclear\u00a0and\u00a0precision\u00a0strike\u00a0capabilities\u00a0in\u00a0forward\u00a0units,\u00a0placing\u00a0all\u00a0of\u00a0South\u00a0Korea\u00a0within\u00a0range,&#8221;\u00a0Lim\u00a0said.<\/p>\n<p>South\u00a0Korea\u2019s\u00a0Unification\u00a0Ministry\u00a0said\u00a0the\u00a0tests\u00a0appeared\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0part\u00a0of\u00a0North\u00a0Korea\u2019s\u00a0five-year\u00a0defence\u00a0\u200cdevelopment\u00a0plan.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Related Story<\/p>\n<p>           <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gulf-times.com\/article\/723684\/international\/chinese-foreign-minister-visits-pyongyang-to-advance-relations\" title=\"Chinese foreign minister visits Pyongyang to advance relations\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdnx.premiumread.com\/?url=https:\/\/gulf-times.com\/gulftimes\/uploads\/images\/2026\/04\/09\/433699.jpg&amp;w=400&amp;q=100&amp;f=webp\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid rounded\" alt=\"Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) is welcomed by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui upon arriving on a two-day visit at Pyongyang International Airport Thursday. (AFP)\" title=\"Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) is welcomed by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui upon arriving on a two-day visit at Pyongyang International Airport Thursday. (AFP)\" onerror=\"this.src=\"\/><\/p>\n<p>            <\/a><\/p>\n<p>           <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gulf-times.com\/article\/723071\/international\/korea\/north-koreas-kim-oversees-test-of-high-thrust-engine-state-media\" title=\"North Korea&#039;s Kim oversees test of high-thrust engine: state media\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdnx.premiumread.com\/?url=https:\/\/gulf-times.com\/gulftimes\/uploads\/images\/2026\/03\/29\/430448.jpg&amp;w=400&amp;q=100&amp;f=webp\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid rounded\" alt=\"This undated picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 29, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a combustion test of a solid-fuel rocket engine at an undisclosed location in North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a ground test of an upgraded solid-fuel rocket engine, state media reported on March 29, in the latest sign of Pyongyang's push to enhance its strategic weapons arsenal. (AFP) \" title=\"This undated picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 29, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a combustion test of a solid-fuel rocket engine at an undisclosed location in North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a ground test of an upgraded solid-fuel rocket engine, state media reported on March 29, in the latest sign of Pyongyang's push to enhance its strategic weapons arsenal. (AFP) \" onerror=\"this.src=\"\/><\/p>\n<p>            <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) inspecting weapons at North Korea&#8217;s National Defense Science Research Institute. (AFP) North\u00a0Korean\u00a0leader\u00a0Kim\u00a0Jong-un\u00a0oversaw\u00a0tests\u00a0of\u00a0key\u00a0\u200cweapons\u00a0on\u00a0Thursday\u00a0as\u00a0part\u00a0of\u00a0\u200bthe\u00a0country&#8217;s\u00a0goal\u00a0to\u00a0\u200cmodernise\u00a0its\u00a0missile\u00a0programme\u00a0and\u00a0bolster\u00a0firepower\u00a0along\u00a0\u200cthe\u00a0southern\u00a0\u2060border\u00a0\u200cwith\u00a0South\u00a0Korea,\u00a0state\u00a0media\u00a0\u200cKCNA\u00a0reported\u00a0on\u00a0Friday.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67488,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[141,31,21185,34,3815],"class_list":["post-67487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-north-korea","tag-kim-jong-un","tag-korea","tag-missile-programme","tag-north-korea","tag-weapons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}