North Korea tests KN-25 targeting South Korea

North Korea on Friday conducted a strike drill using its super-large multiple rocket launcher, the KN-25, a tactical nuclear attack system aimed at South Korea, under the observation of leader Kim Jong Un. The move appeared to target the ongoing South Korea-U.S. Freedom Shield joint military exercise.

Some analysts also said the test effectively brushed aside a recent diplomatic overture from the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump had signaled interest in dialogue with Pyongyang during a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok.

Photos released by North Korea on Saturday showed 12 transporter erector launchers lined up side by side, firing KN-25 rockets almost simultaneously.

The Korean Central News Agency said the rockets struck an island target in the East Sea at a distance of 364.4 kilometers with “100 percent accuracy,” demonstrating once again the system’s destructive power and military value.

South Korea’s military said earlier that North Korea had launched more than 10 ballistic missiles the previous day from the Sunan area of Pyongyang.

Friday’s drill marked the first time Kim Jong Un has observed a mass-launch exercise involving the KN-25 since May 30, 2024, during the administration of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

At that time, 18 rockets were fired into the East Sea, each launched from 18 separate transporter erector launchers.

After the drill, Kim said the test would “create anxiety among enemies within the 420-kilometer strike range and give them a deeper understanding of the destructive power of tactical nuclear weapons.” His remarks openly indicated that the exercise was intended to demonstrate the capability to devastate South Korea with KN-25 systems armed with tactical nuclear warheads such as the Hwasan-31.

Footage aired by Korean Central Television showed Kim clenching his fist in apparent satisfaction after the launch. He was also seen pointing at screens broadcasting the launch sequence while explaining something to his daughter, Ju Ae.

A South Korean military official said the drill appeared to lay bare Pyongyang’s intent to cripple South Korea’s warfighting capability by launching dozens of KN-25 rockets within minutes in a nuclear strike targeting the South Korean military command, United States Forces Korea bases and key transit points for U.S. reinforcements such as ports and airports.

Kim’s reference to a 420-kilometer range was particularly notable. From the launch site in Sunan, that distance almost exactly reaches the THAAD missile defense base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

If launched from areas near the Military Demarcation Line, nearly the entire South Korean mainland except for Jeju Island would fall within range.

A military official said the message effectively served as a warning that no location in South Korea, including the THAAD base that forms a core part of the country’s missile defense network against North Korea, lies beyond Pyongyang’s potential nuclear strike capability.

The multiple rocket launchers used in the drill are believed to be a new model that appeared at a ceremony attended by Kim Jong Un last month.

The system features five launch tubes, one more than previous models, allowing it to fire a larger number of rockets in a single salvo.

Military analysts say unit markings visible on the launchers and North Korea’s announcement that two artillery companies took part in the exercise suggest the system has been operationally deployed with a formation structure of six launchers per company.


Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com