North Korea’s communist regime launched a new round of long-range cruise missile tests this weekend, personally overseen by dictator Kim Jong-un, as part of an ongoing campaign to display the country’s nuclear attack readiness. The tests took place shortly after Kim visited the construction site of a nuclear-powered submarine, a move widely viewed as a response to the arrival of a U.S. nuclear submarine in South Korea.
North Korean state media confirmed Kim’s involvement in what it called “strategic cruise missile” launches, claiming they serve to verify the “absolute reliability and combat readiness” of Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities. The Korean Central News Agency said the missile launches were part of a broader strategy to counter alleged “security threats” and maintain the country’s nuclear deterrent.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency confirmed that multiple cruise missiles were launched from the Sunan area near Pyongyang on Sunday morning, traveling over the Yellow Sea. The South Korean government, under leftist President Lee Jae-myung, issued a statement urging North Korea to “respond” to dialogue efforts rather than escalating tensions.
The latest provocation follows Kim’s heavily publicized visit to a facility building what North Korea claims will be an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered strategic submarine. State propaganda reported that Kim personally “guided” the submarine construction, though no credible evidence suggests he possesses expertise in nuclear submarine engineering.
North Korean media hailed the submarine project as a historic achievement, describing it as a key part of the regime’s “super-powerful offensive capability.” Kim declared the vessel an “important component of the nuclear war deterrent” and praised it as a “glorious” feat for the country’s military and defense scientists.
The submarine announcement was timed to coincide with the Christmas holiday, as well as the December 23 arrival of the USS Greenville, a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine, in the South Korean port city of Busan. North Korea’s Ministry of National Defense condemned the U.S. presence, accusing Washington of turning its alliance with South Korea into a “nuclear confrontation bloc.”
North Korea’s hostility toward Christian faith remains firmly entrenched in the regime’s ideology. Once known as the “Jerusalem of the East,” Pyongyang outlawed Christianity under Kim Jong-un’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung. Possessing a Bible remains a capital offense in the country, with Christians facing torture, imprisonment, or execution if discovered.
The timing of these military demonstrations — on and around Christmas — underscores the regime’s rejection of religious freedom and disdain for the Christian holiday. While millions around the world celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ, North Korea used the occasion to flex its nuclear ambitions.
