Kim Jong Un oversees N. Korea’s strategic cruise missile launches
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the launch of long-range strategic cruise missiles, state media reported on Monday, as Pyongyang steps up military activity ahead of a key ruling party congress expected in early 2026.
Kim observed the missile launches on Sunday, saying they demonstrated the reliability of the country’s nuclear deterrent and counter-attack readiness amid what he described as growing security threats, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Kim expressed “great satisfaction” as the missiles flew over the sea west of the Korean Peninsula and successfully struck their targets. He said regularly testing the components of North Korea’s nuclear forces was a “responsible exercise” in the current security environment.
Kim also reaffirmed that Pyongyang would continue to devote “all its efforts” to the unlimited development of its nuclear combat capabilities, the report said.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that its military detected the launch of multiple cruise missiles at around 8 a.m. on Sunday from the Sunan area near Pyongyang.
A spokesperson for South Korea’s defence ministry said a series of recent North Korean military activities — including progress on a nuclear-powered submarine — were actions that “undermine peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
The missile test follows reports last week that Kim had inspected submarine construction alongside his daughter, believed by some analysts to be a potential successor, and supervised tests of long-range surface-to-air missiles.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that North Korea could conduct additional missile tests around New Year’s Day, citing a South Korean military official. Seoul’s military declined to comment on the possibility.
Hong Min, a North Korea expert at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said Sunday’s launch was likely aimed at testing upgraded cruise missiles capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads.
KCNA also said Kim attended the opening ceremony of a paper mill on Sunday. In recent weeks, he has appeared at several factory and hotel openings as North Korea seeks to complete its current five-year economic plan ahead of the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in early 2026.
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