On Monday (14\/09), North Korea said that a recent \u201clive-fire\u201d\nexercise demonstrated \u201cvery great destructive power\u201d.<\/p>\n
According to the North Korean government news agency KCNA, the drill\nheld on Saturday (12\/09) fired various types of weapons simultaneously,\naiming to boost the morale of North Korean troops and enhance their\ncapability to \u201ccompletely destroy the enemy\u201d.<\/p>\n
KCNA reported that the exercise involved five army units and tested a\nrange of weapons systems, including attack drones, tactical cruise\nmissiles, tactical ballistic missiles and other armaments.<\/p>\n
Experts said North Korea has not reduced its weapons development and\ntesting activities, even though US President Donald Trump recently\nscaled down joint military exercises with the United States and South\nKorea. The move appeared to be an effort to revive diplomacy with the\nNorth Korean leader, Kim Jong Un.<\/p>\n
North Korea claims to possess great military strength<\/p>\n
North Korean Marshal Pak Jong Chon, as quoted by KCNA, said the\nexercise aimed to \u201craise the level of specialisation so as to\nincapacitate the enemy\u2019s armed forces organisationally and structurally\nas soon as the order is given\u201d.<\/p>\n
He added that the weapons systems deployed in the drill demonstrated\n\u201cthe very great destructive power of concentrated fire\u201d.<\/p>\n
South Korea\u2019s Joint Chiefs of Staff said several missiles were fired\non Saturday (12\/09), travelling about 250 kilometres (155 miles) before\nreaching waters off North Korea\u2019s east coast.<\/p>\n
That range indicates the weapons were designed to strike targets in\nSouth Korea, including US military bases there.<\/p>\n
North Korea\u2019s response to \u201cprovocation\u201d<\/p>\n
The live-fire exercise took place a day after the United States,\nSouth Korea and Japan completed trilateral military drills that North\nKorea regarded as a provocation.<\/p>\n
In August, Trump ordered the Pentagon to \u201csignificantly reduce\u201d the\nscale of the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise conducted with South Korea.\nAccording to the US president, the decision was taken because of his\ngood relationship with Kim Jong Un.<\/p>\n
North Korea rejected Trump\u2019s move, saying that shortening the\nexercise did not change its \u201cprovocative and aggressive nature\u201d.<\/p>\n
The exercise ended six days earlier than originally planned. Experts\nsaid Kim Jong Un likely feels his position in any potential negotiations\nwith the United States has grown stronger than before, since his first\nmeetings with Trump in 2018 and 2019.<\/p>\n
Kim previously said he could return to the negotiating table if the\nUnited States abandoned what he called its \u201chostile policy\u201d towards his\ncountry and recognised North Korea\u2019s status, as claimed by Pyongyang, as\na nuclear state.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/north-korea-holds-live-fire-drill-displaying-very-great-destructive-power-1789447987", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }