Under the supervision of its leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea conducted a surface-to-sea missile test on Wednesday. The same day, the country launched several cruise missiles off its east coast.
According to North Korean official media KCNA, the new missile, known as Padasuri-6, or "Sea Eagle-6," crossed the ocean and struck its designated target.
Kim also paid a visit to a significant armaments complex, where he cautioned South Korea and demanded an increase in weaponry output. According to KCNA, he examined the plant and gained extensive knowledge on the upgrading of manufacturing.
“It is not important how many lines exist in the West Sea of Korea … when the enemy intrudes into the maritime border recognized by us, we will regard it as an encroachment upon the sovereignty of the DPRK and an armed provocation against it,” Kim said, according to KCNA.
According to KCNA, Kim said that by insisting on a "Northern Limit Line" (NLL), the maritime border between the two Koreas, South Korea is infringing on the sovereignty of the North.
The cruise missile launch was the most recent of many such tests conducted in the weeks leading up to South Korea's general election in April.
According to KCNA, Kim issued orders to bolster military preparedness in the NLL region and in the waters to the west of the Korean peninsula and north of Yeonpyeong Island.
The head of the isolated nation also emphasized the factory's support for North Korea's military forces and mentioned raising output since it was "needed by the developing revolution and the prevailing situation," according to KCNA.
Kim's visit to the weapons facility coincides with accusations of North Korea engaging in arms trade with Russia by the US and its allies.
Last month, the White House claimed, based on previously released data, that Russia had just launched strikes against Ukraine using short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) that were obtained from North Korea.
Growing worries about outright military provocation are being expressed in South Korea; one potential flashpoint might be Korea's haphazardly defined western maritime boundary, the scene of multiple deadly clashes in recent years.
During a briefing on Thursday, Lee Sung Joon, the spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff in South Korea, stated that the country's armed forces will retaliate sharply against any provocation near the Northern Limit Line, which he referred to as "our military's unchanging sea border."
Both nations exchanged artillery fire in early January close to the western maritime border; no recorded casualties resulted from the clash.
