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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un examines the Hwasan-13 small nuclear warhead. Photo/NK News
SEOUL – North Korea (North Korea) showcased a small nuclear warhead capable of being mounted on a short-range missile capable of targeting troops South Korea (South Korea) and United States of America (USA) on the Korean Peninsula. That’s when the country’s media reported when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was inspecting the warhead.
Kim Jong-un is reportedly calling for an expansion of nuclear material production to manufacture more weapons, as photos show him next to a warhead named “Hwasan-31” and a diagram of the warheads inside various missiles during an inspection the previous day.
Photographs published today, Tuesday (28/3/2023), show Kim Jong-un inspecting at least 10 nuclear warheads painted red and green on a stand in a showroom, presumably at the Nuclear Weapons Institute.
Complete models of the Hwasal-2 long-range cruise missile, KN-25 600mm multiple launch rocket system missile and KN-23 SRBM also appear alongside the warheads.
Additionally, diagrams displayed on the wall show the Hwasan-31 warhead mounted to various other large and small missiles. The word “Hwasan” means “volcano” in Korean.
North Korean state media reports about the country’s missile tests in recent years claim that a new short-range tactical missile system aimed at South Korean airfields and US bases is nuclear capable, but today’s report offers the first glimpse of that capability.
However, the report did not show or explain the technical specifications of the inside of the warhead, making it difficult to confirm North Korea’s claims.
Although Kim Jong-un has threatened the US and South Korea with a nuclear strike in recent weeks, North Korean media reports say his nukes did not target any particular country or group, but war and the nuclear disaster itself.
“Only when we perfectly prepare the ability to use nuclear weapons at any time and from anywhere will we ensure that we will never have to use nuclear weapons forever,” Kim Jong-un said as quoted by NK News.
