North Korea's Central News Agency reported today, Friday, that Pyongyang conducted a test of an underwater nuclear weapon system in response to the joint military exercises carried out by South Korea, the United States, and Japan earlier this week. The report indicated that the test of the "Hail-5-23" system, which is the name North Korea has given to underwater offensive drones with nuclear capabilities, was conducted by a research center affiliated with the Ministry of Defense in waters off its eastern coast, without specifying the date.
An unnamed spokesperson for the ministry accused the United States, South Korea, and Japan of being "eager" for military exercises and warned of "catastrophic consequences." The naval forces of the three countries conducted routine joint drills this week, which lasted three days and concluded on Wednesday, with the U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson participating in efforts to improve the trio's response to the threats posed by North Korea's nuclear armament.
The spokesperson indicated in a statement, "The nuclear-weapon-based counter-situation of our army is being completed, and various response measures will continue at sea and underwater to deter the aggressive military maneuvers of the U.S. Navy and its allies." The new drone system Hail, which means tsunami, was tested for the first time in March 2023. State media reported that it aims to carry out infiltration attacks in enemy waters and destroy naval strike groups and major operational ports by generating a massive shockwave from an underwater explosion.
This latest experiment follows days after North Korea launched a new medium-range hypersonic missile powered by solid fuel, which was met with condemnation from Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo, who deemed it a serious violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, when asked in a press conference about North Korea's recent test, declined to comment on "each one of these activities individually," but pledged to continue efforts to curb North Korea's weapons development.
