SEOUL: North Korea has tested its underwater nuclear weapons system in protest against joint military drills by South Korea, the United States and Japan this week, state-run Korean Central News Agency said on Friday.
The underwater drone tested by North Korea was a disapproval of the US-led joint drill. File photo: AP
According to the report, the "Haeil-5-23" system is North Korea's name for its nuclear-capable underwater attack drone. The test of the system was conducted by a Ministry of Defense think tank in the waters off its east coast, but it was not specified the date.
An unnamed spokesman for the Ministry of Defense accused the United States, South Korea and Japan of "going crazy" with military exercises and warned it would have "catastrophic consequences".
The navies of the three nations are holding three days of regularly scheduled exercises with the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier until Wednesday as part of efforts to improve responses to Pyongyang's evolving nuclear and missile threats.
A spokesman for the North Korean Defense Ministry said in a statement: "Our military's underwater nuclear counterattack posture is being further improved, and its various maritime and underwater response operations will continue to prevent hostile military exercises by the navies of the United States and its allies." According to the KCNA Report.
North Korean state television has broadcast previous atmospheric explosion tests, which have been monitored by U.S. and South Korean authorities, but the reported underwater weapons have not been independently confirmed.
Late on Friday, South Korea's Defense Ministry issued a warning about North Korea's latest series of weapons tests, calling for an immediate halt.
"Our military is fully prepared to respond to North Korean provocations under a strong joint defence posture with the United States," it said in a statement, vowing to respond "overwhelmingly" if North Korea launches a direct provocation. reaction.
Asked about North Korea's recent tests at a news conference, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa declined to comment on "each activity" but pledged to continue efforts to curb its weapons development.
According to reports, the new drone system is called "Haeil", which means tsunami. It was first tested in March 2023. State media said its purpose was to conduct sneak attacks on enemy waters by generating large radioactive waves. Destroy naval strike groups and major operational ports via underwater explosions.
The latest reported underwater test came just days after North Korea launched a new medium-range solid-fuel hypersonic missile that Washington, Seoul and Tokyo condemned as a serious violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Nuclear envoys from the three allies gathered in Seoul on Thursday to denounce Pyongyang's arms trade with Russia and increasingly hostile rhetoric, coinciding with a visit by the North's foreign minister to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
在美國領導的聯合演習的煽動下，北韓測試了水下核子無人機
首爾：官方媒體朝中社週五稱，北韓對其水下核武系統進行了測試，以抗議韓國、美國和日本本週舉行的聯合軍事演習。
報導稱，「Haeil-5-23」系統是北韓對其具有核能力的水下攻擊無人機的名稱，該系統的測試是由國防部智囊團在其東海岸附近海域進行的，但沒有指定日期。
國防部未透露姓名的發言人指責美國、韓國和日本的軍事演習“變得瘋狂”，並警告這將帶來“災難性後果”。
這三個國家的海軍與美國卡爾文森號航空母艦一起舉行了為期三天的定期演習，直到週三，作為改善對平壤不斷演變的核和導彈威脅反應的努力的一部分。
北韓國防部發言人在聲明中表示：「我軍的水下核武反擊態勢正在進一步完善，其各種海上和水下反應行動將繼續阻止美國及其盟國海軍的敵對軍事演習。」據朝中社報道。
北韓國家電視台曾播放過先前的大氣爆炸試驗，這些試驗一直受到美國和南韓當局的監控，但所通報的水下武器尚未得到獨立證實。
週五晚些時候，韓國國防部對北韓最近的一系列武器試驗發出警告，呼籲立即停止。
它在一份聲明中表示，“我們的軍隊在與美國牢固的聯合防禦態勢下，已經做好了應對朝鮮挑釁的充分準備”，並誓言如果朝鮮發動直接挑釁，我們將做出“壓倒性”反應。
日本外務大臣上川洋子在新聞發布會上被問及北韓最近的試驗時，拒絕對「每項活動」發表評論，但承諾將繼續努力遏制其武器開發。
據報道，這種新的無人機系統被稱為“Haeil”，意思是海嘯，它於2023 年3 月首次進行測試，官方媒體稱其目的是通過產生大型放射性波對敵方水域進行偷襲，摧毀海軍打擊群和主要作戰港口通過水下爆炸。
最新報導的水下試驗是在北韓發射新型中程固體燃料高超音速飛彈幾天後進行的，華盛頓、首爾和東京譴責該飛彈嚴重違反了聯合國安理會決議。
週四，這三個盟國的核特使齊聚首爾，譴責平壤與俄羅斯的武器貿易和日益增長的敵對言論，恰逢朝鮮外長訪問莫斯科並會見俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普丁。
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