North Korea conducted a missile drill that incorporated a simulated tactical nuclear attack in response to a joint United States–South Korea exercise. This activity was reported by Korea Central News Agency (CTAC). The dispatch underscores that the North Korean side fired two long-range strategic cruise missiles, with warheads that were described as simulating nuclear warheads in the test scenario. The report frames the event as part of a broader sequence of agility and deterrence exercises conducted by the Korean People’s Army in the wake of ongoing allied drills in the region.
Earlier in the sequence of training, North Korea’s Korean People’s Army carried out tactical nuclear strike drills that involved simulated attacks against South Korea. The strategy employed during these exercises was described as a scorched earth approach, intended to demonstrate readiness and the ability to impose heavy costs on potential adversaries in any confrontation. The narrative presented by the North Korean side emphasizes the seriousness and immediacy of its postures in the face of external pressure and military maneuvers by allied forces nearby.
During the latest phase of the exercise, North Korean forces reportedly launched two tactical ballistic missiles from Pyongyang International Airport. The missiles were directed toward the northeast and, according to the accounts, exploded in the air about 400 meters above the training targets. Reportedly, the launches achieved the intended effect by creating a controlled detonation at altitude while over the designated training zone, reinforcing the demonstration of operational capability and precision in timing for observers within the drill’s framework.
The day before, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan from the Sunan region near Pyongyang. This earlier action is cited as part of a pattern of rapid, successive testing that aligns with the strategic messaging conveyed through the broader exercise timeline. Observers note that the placement and dispersion of these missiles underscore a commitment to expanding the range and diversification of munitions within the country’s tactical toolkit, as well as signaling deterrence to regional actors and allied forces monitoring the area.
In another dimension of the public discourse surrounding these events, North Korea has previously described the entry of a United States submarine into waters adjacent to South Korea as a condition that, in its view, necessitates consideration of nuclear weapons as an option in its defensive posture. The language used in these statements reflects the cadence and rhetoric typical of Pyongyang’s public communications, aiming to project resolve and strategic calculation. Analysts observe that such declarations are part of a broader pattern in which North Korea ties allied military movements to its own operational readiness and regional posture, thereby shaping the navigational and strategic calculus of regional security dynamics.