North Korea Says It Tested Nuclear-Capable Underwater Drone In Response To Rivals' Drills

North Korea said on Friday that it has tested a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone in response to a combined naval exercise by South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

North Korea said on Friday that it has tested a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone, as reported by news agency AP. This comes in response to a combined naval exercise by South Korea, the United States, and Japan this week. The test came days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced that he is scrapping his country’s long-standing goal of peaceful reunification with South Korea and that his country will rewrite its constitution to define South Korea as its most hostile foreign adversary.

According to AP, the underwater drone is among a wide range of weapon systems demonstrated in recent years as Kim Jong Un expands his arsenal of nuclear-capable weapons. South Korea’s military has said that North Korea has exaggerated the capabilities of the drone.

North Korea’s military said it carried out the test in the country’s eastern waters in response to a naval drill by the U.S., South Korea, and Japan that ended Wednesday in waters south of Jeju Island, as reported by AP.

“Our army’s underwater nuke-based countering posture is being further rounded off, and its various maritime and underwater responsive actions will continue to deter the hostile military maneuvers of the navies of the U.S. and its allies,” North Korea’s Defence Ministry said in a statement, as quoted by AP.

“We strongly denounce the U.S. and its followers for their reckless acts of seriously threatening the security of (North Korea) from the outset of the year and sternly warn them of the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by them,” it further stated.

‘Threat To Peace In Korean Peninsula And The World’: South Korea Denounces North Korea’s Tests  

South Korea’s Defence Ministry denounced North Korea’s recent tests as a violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and a threat to “peace in the Korean Peninsula and the world,” as reported by AP. South Korea stated that its military, along with the US, was maintaining a firm defence posture against possible provocations from North Korea.

‘Break Silence’: South Korea Calls On Divided UNSC Over North Korea’s Missile Tests  

As North Korea escalates missile tests and threats, South Korea called on the divided U.N. Security Council on Thursday “to break the silence,” as reported by AP.