According to official media KCNA, North Korea said on Friday that it has tested its undersea nuclear weapons system in retaliation for a joint naval drill involving South Korea, the US, and Japan.
The think tank of the defence ministry reportedly tested the nuclear-capable underwater attack drones, known as “Haeil-5-23,” in the seas off the east coast. The date of execution was not specified in the report, though.
The ministry’s spokeswoman said in a statement, “Our army’s underwater nuke-based countering posture is being further rounded off, and its various maritime and underwater responsive actions will continue to deter the hostile military manoeuvres of the US and its allies.”
A “catastrophic consequences” warning for the US and its “followers” was also issued by the spokeswoman.
Up to Wednesday, nine warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, participated in combined naval exercises conducted by Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo off the coast of South Korea.
Following Pyongyang’s announcement on Sunday that it had tested a new solid-fuel missile equipped with a hypersonic warhead, a naval drill was conducted.
