North Korea has tested its latest and most terrifying weapon yet: an underwater nuclear drone that can create massive waves of destruction. The state media reported that the test was a success and a warning to the US and its allies, who have been conducting joint military drills in the region.
The drone, named Haeil-5-23, meaning “tsunami” in Korean, is said to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and sneaking into enemy waters undetected. It can then detonate its payload and cause a huge underwater explosion that would generate a powerful shockwave and a radioactive tsunami. The resulting wave could wipe out naval strike groups, major ports, and coastal cities.
The test took place in the waters off the east coast of North Korea, where the regime has previously conducted several tests of its ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. The state media published images of the drone, which resembles a torpedo with wings and a tail. The images also showed leader Kim Jong Un overseeing the test and expressing his satisfaction.
The test came as a response to the joint military exercises by the US, South Korea, and Japan, which North Korea views as a provocation and a threat to its security. The three countries have been conducting drills involving a US aircraft carrier, fighter jets, and submarines in the waters around the Korean peninsula. North Korea has denounced the exercises as a rehearsal for invasion and vowed to defend itself with its nuclear arsenal.
North Korea has been ramping up its military activities and rhetoric in recent weeks, signaling a shift in its policy and attitude towards its neighbors and the world. Kim Jong Un has declared that the goal of reunification with South Korea is over and designated the South as the “principal enemy”. He has also claimed to have deployed a new solid-fuelled intermediate-range ballistic missile and conducted live-fire drills at the maritime border with South Korea.
North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs have been a source of tension and concern for the international community, which has imposed multiple sanctions on the regime for violating UN resolutions. However, the sanctions have failed to deter North Korea from pursuing its weapons development, which it says is necessary for its survival and sovereignty. The regime has also rejected any dialogue or diplomacy with the US, which it accuses of hostility and pressure.
North Korea’s underwater nuclear drone is the latest addition to its growing arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, which includes nuclear warheads, ballistic missiles, spy satellites, and chemical and biological weapons. The regime claims to have the ability to strike anywhere in the US and its allies with its nuclear weapons, and has threatened to do so if provoked. The test of the drone shows that North Korea is not only advancing its technology, but also expanding its range and methods of attack. The world is facing a new and unpredictable threat from the rogue state, which seems determined to challenge and defy the international order.
