North Korea’s recent missile launches were “tactical nuclear” drills simulating attacks on South Korean and U.S. targets, Pyongyang’s official news agency said Monday. The seven launches since late September were personally overseen by Kim Jong Un, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) added, and were ordered as a direct response to joint military exercises conducted by South Korea, the U.S., and Japan. “The units of the Korean People’s Army for the operation of tactical nukes staged military drills from September 25 to October 9 in order to check and assess the war deterrent and nuclear counterattack capability of the country, which comes to be a severe warning to the enemies,” KCNA said. The agency said Kim had directed all of the tests “on the spot” and published photos of him watching the launches.
