North Korea reinforces border troops with 250 ballistic missile launchers
The rocket launchers are a "modern tactical attack weapon" and a "powerful, valuable sword" for defending the sovereignty of North Korea, Kim said at the ceremony, adding that he personally designed the rocket launchers. The presentation of the new weapons at a time when North Korea is struggling with severe flooding is an "expression of our party's firm will to advance the strengthening of defense capabilities."
According to South Korean expert Han Kwon Hee of the Korea Defense Industry Studies Association, this is the first time North Korea has disclosed the scale of a weapons transfer to its border troops. Each launcher can carry four rockets, Han told the AFP news agency.
Relations between North and South Korea are currently at a low point. Kim Jong Un has declared South Korea the "main enemy" of Pyongyang and announced plans to expand weapons development, including tactical nuclear weapons. North Korea has also threatened to fight for even "0.001 millimeter" of disputed territory. In response, South Korea and the US have strengthened their defense cooperation.
North Korea's military prioritizes the readiness of its border troops, as evidenced by the recent disclosure of the scale of weapon transfers to these troops by the country itself. Despite tensions with South Korea, North Korea continues to bolster its defense capabilities, with Kim Jong Un publicly stating North Korea as its main enemy and planning advancements in tactical nuclear weapons development.
