Kim Jong Un Fires 4 Missiles In Show Of Nuclear Force As US, South Korea Stage Table-Top Drill Against North Korea

Kim Jong Un on Friday test-fired four strategic cruise missiles during a military drill aimed at demonstrating North Korea's ability to conduct a nuclear counterattack against hostile forces. 

What Happened: North Korea fired four “Hwasal-2” missiles, with an apparently operational strategic cruise missile unit of the Korean people's army, from the area of Kim Chaek City in North Hamgyong province towards the East Sea, the news agency KCNA reported. 

See Also: Donald Trump Boasts Of Close Ties With Kim Jong Un, Says North Korean Leader ‘Feels Threatened’ By US Military Drills

The four strategic cruise missiles hit a preset target after traveling the "2,000km-long [1,243-mile] elliptical and eight-shaped flight orbits for 10,208 seconds to 10,224 seconds", the state media said.

Despite international sanctions and pressure, Kim has been actively developing North Korea’s missile capabilities and nuclear arsenal. His isolated nation said the missile launches on Friday demonstrated "the war posture of the DPRK nuclear combat force bolstering up in every way its deadly nuclear counterattack capability against the hostile forces."

The missile launches come at a time of heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula as the U.S. and South Korean officials took part in a simulated “table-top” exercise that focused on the possibility of Pyongyang using a nuclear weapon.

“Given the DPRK’s recent aggressive nuclear policy and advancements in nuclear capabilities, the (table-top) scenario focused on the possibility of the DPRK’s use of nuclear weapons,” Pentagon said in a statement.

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