Overview
- KCNA reported that Kim Jong Un supervised a Dec. 24 launch of new long-range, high-altitude surface-to-air missiles that struck mock targets at about 200 kilometers.
- Kim inspected an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered strategic guided-missile submarine under construction, with state media releasing photos of his tour.
- He directed an acceleration of the "nuclear weaponization of the navy" and called the new submarine an "epoch-making" boost to deterrence.
- Kim warned that South Korea's plan to develop nuclear-powered submarines will worsen regional instability and poses a threat that must be countered.
- The claims come from North Korean state media with limited independent verification, and responses from Seoul and Washington were not detailed in the reports.