North Korea’s official news agency and other state media sources were silent on Sunday regarding a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) fired the day before in its latest saber-rattling ahead of South Korea’s incoming President Yoon Suk-inauguration. yeol’s
Pyongyang’s official mouthpiece, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), normally starts its morning news cycle with coverage on big events from the previous day, such as leader Kim Jong-activities un’s or major weapons tests.
However, the KCNA made no mention of the SLBM launch, which took place Saturday afternoon in waters off the North’s eastern coastal city of Sinpo, the North’s primary submarine shipyard, according to the South Korean military.
The launch was also ignored by the Rodong Sinmun, the North’s leading newspaper, and other media outlets.
The launch was the North’s 15th show of force this year, and it came only three days before Yoon takes office as South Korea’s new president, with a more hardline North Korea policy than outgoing President Moon Jae-in.
It was the second time in less than a week that no word on major weapons testing was reported by North Korean state media agencies. After the North fired what is thought to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last week, state media provided no details, leading to speculation that the launch failed.
Meanwhile, Meari, a pro-North Korean propaganda website, slammed Yoon’s plan to beef up defences against the North’s nuclear and missile threats, including the completion of a “three-axis” system, saying such measures would be “useless” in the face of the country’s “mighty force and absolute strength.”
The Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR), an operational strategy to incapacitate North Korean leadership in a major confrontation; the Kill Chain preemptive attack platform; and the Korea Air and Missile Defense system make up the domestic three-axis system (KAMD).
“Such things as the introduction of foreign high-tech weapons, the development of arms on its own or the establishment of a South Korean-style three-axis system are nothing but useless things in the face of our mighty force and absolute power,” it said.
Kelly Choi is a Korean Journalist. Kelly resides in Busan. She is currently working as a journalist at The Shining Media. Earlier she did work for some regional news media of Busan.
