North Korea has responded to the naval exercises from the United States, South Korea and Japan in the Pacific Ocean. Kim Jong-un's regime announced through state-run media that it had tested an "underwater nuclear weapons system."
From the North Korean point of view, the drills by the United States and its allies are a direct provocation and a serious "threat" to the country's security. The nuclear weapons system that the communist regime claims to have tested is the Haeil-5-23, an underwater drone that carries a nuclear payload.
It is a version of the same weapons system that North Korea already tested in 2023 and that would be capable of causing a "radioactive tsunami," according to information from the North Korean Ministry of Defense, as reported by the North Korean media.
According to AFP, the North Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson did not specify the date of the alleged weapons tests. He assured, however, that the "nuclear-weapon-based submarine counterattack posture is being further perfected." There is no further evidence or serious evidence to support the North Korean regime's claims.
The situation between North and South Korea is at a point of high tension and is far from improving. The previous week, dictator Kim Jong-un again referred to South Korea as the "main enemy" of his communist regime. Along with these statements, he dissolved all government agencies dedicated to promoting peaceful cooperation between the Koreas.
Trilateral maritime exercise
The drills that the United States is participating in with Japan and South Korea in the Pacific Ocean are a key part of the American deployment in the region. The Korean Peninsula has several islands, such as Jeju, with great strategic value.
⚓ #JustAnotherDayUnderway for our #SurfaceWarriors aboard USS Princeton 🇺🇸
Princeton is assigned to Carrier Strike Group ONE and deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/3egKyb55gz
— Naval Surface Forces (@SurfaceWarriors) January 18, 2024
The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59), the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Kidd (DDG 100) and USS Sterett (DDG 104) were all part of these drills.
