Kim Jong Un affirme équiper sa marine d'armes nucléaires
"The arming of the navy with nuclear weapons is progressing satisfactorily," Kim Jong Un was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency, while welcoming "a radical change in the defense of our maritime sovereignty, something we had not been able to achieve for half a century."
These tests, which included the launch of a sea-launched cruise missile, were conducted shortly after the Communist Party's five-yearly congress. During the event, Kim Jong Un reiterated his commitment to strengthening his country's nuclear-armed military capabilities and vowed to respond forcefully to any threat.
They also occurred shortly after the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran aimed in particular at destroying its nuclear program, missiles and navy.
Mr. Kim inspected a "Choe Hyon" class ship on Tuesday, one of two launched last year as North Korea seeks to bolster its naval capabilities, and oversaw the missile launch on Wednesday, which was "successfully" carried out, the Korean Central News Agency said.
The destroyer Choe Hyon is one of two 5,000-ton warships that North Korea has in its arsenal, both to be completed in 2025.
A third building, which the North Korean leader also inspected on Wednesday, is under construction, according to KCNA.
Pyongyang previously stated that the Choe Hyon was equipped with the "most powerful weapons".
The ship could carry short-range tactical missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, some analysts believe, although North Korea has not proven that it has the ability to miniaturize its nuclear arsenal.
Last week, Pyongyang condemned the ongoing US and Israeli attack on Iran, calling it an "illegal act of aggression" and claiming it revealed Washington's "rogue" nature.
With the trials of the new destroyer, Kim Jong Un seems to want to make a "show of force in the context of the current situation in Iran and in the lead-up to the next joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States," Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies, told AFP.
Pyongyang and Washington are long-time adversaries, but the United States has stepped up its efforts in recent months to revive high-level talks with the North.
After largely ignoring these overtures, Kim Jong-un said in February that the two nations could "come to an understanding" if Washington accepted his country's nuclear status.
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