North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw tests of new weapons to bolster firepower along the inter-Korean border, state-run media reported Friday. In this May 2024 photo, Kim views a 240mm multiple rocket launcher system. File Photo by KCNA/EPA-EFE
SEOUL, June 26 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw tests of a new rocket launcher system and other weapons as part of a plan to bolster firepower along the inter-Korean border, state-run media reported Friday, highlighting Pyongyang's continued effort to modernize conventional weapons capable of threatening the Seoul metropolitan area.
The new weapons, tested at an undisclosed location Thursday, included an upgraded 240mm 24-tube multiple rocket launcher with an automated guidance system and an extended range of 56 miles, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
Also tested were shells for a 155mm self-propelled howitzer with an extended range of 40 miles and a special warhead for a tactical ballistic missile. KCNA said the warhead was "aimed at inflicting fatal damage on major targets including airfields, ports and power facilities of the enemy."
Kim described the launches as a demonstration of the "great technological progress" made in implementing the party's policy of "bringing about a change in the fire posture on the southern border."
