Kim Jong Un oversees the most recent trial of new multiple rocket launcher | Global News

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised another test firing of a new multiple rocket launch system the country plans to deploy to its forces starting this year, state media said on Saturday, part of its move to bolster its lineup of weapons targeting South Korean population centers.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Friday’s test confirmed the advantage and destructive power of the 240-millimeter multiple rocket launcher and its guided shells. The system, which the North already tested twice this year, will be deployed to combat units from 2024 to 2026 to replace older weapons.

In recent months, North Korea has maintained an accelerated pace in weapons testing as it expands its military capabilities while diplomacy with the United States and South Korea remains stalled. Experts believe Kim’s goal is to pressure the United States into accepting North Korea as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

The recent tests have focused on artillery systems, including salvo launches of 600-mm multiple rocket launchers in April, described as a simulated nuclear counterattack against enemy targets. Additionally, North Korea conducted various cruise missile tests and flight-tested a solid-fuel intermediate-range missile with hypersonic warhead capabilities, designed to reach remote US targets in the Pacific.

Following the latest test, Kim instructed to maximize the production of the 240-mm multiple rocket launchers and their guided shells, stating it would significantly enhance the combat capabilities of his forces. South Korean military officials suspect that North Korea’s recent tests are also aimed at examining weapons it plans to export to Russia.

US and South Korean officials have accused North Korea of providing military equipment to Russia to aid its warfighting efforts in Ukraine. Kim has been trying to boost his ties with Moscow and Beijing to break out of diplomatic isolation and align himself against Washington.