“N. KOREA HOLDS NUKE COUNTERATTACK DRILLS”

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea announced that its missile launch over the weekend was part of exercise drills simulating tactical nuclear counterattacks. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the two-day drills accompanied by his daughter Ju-ae. Kim said nuclear possession is not enough to deter war and called for full nuclear attack readiness.

[Pkg]

North Korea says its tactical nuclear units conducted drills simulating a tactical nuclear counterattack against enemies over the weekend. Accompanied by his daughter Ju-ae, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the two-day drills. State media quoted Kim as saying the fact that North Korea is a nuclear state is not enough to deter war. He stressed the need to ensure a readiness posture for a nuclear counterattack against enemies precisely and swiftly.

[Soundbite] (N. Korean Central News Agency) : "He said the current situation where enemies are stepping up aggression schemes against N. Korea is desperately calling for the regime to exponentially bolster its nuclear war deterrence."

Regarding the North's missile launch on Sunday morning, state media said the regime conducted drills simulating a tactical nuclear counterattack against its enemies. It claimed the missile was loaded with test devices resembling nuclear warheads. It also reported that the missile, fired from Cholsan-gun County, Pyonganbuk-do Province, precisely exploded in the air after flying 800 kilometers, proving the reliability of its nuclear explosion controller and detonator. State media said that on Saturday the regime held a drill to manage the nuclear strike control system and switching to a nuclear counterattack posture. In regards to the ongoing Freedom Shield exercises, the North accused South Korea and the U.S. of frantically expanding a rehearsal of aggression against North Korea.

[Soundbite] Jeon Ha-kyu(Defense Ministry Spokesperson) : "The S. Korea-U.S. joint drill is an annual and defensive exercise. We have achieved considerable results from it."

The South Korean military had announced that the North fired a short-range ballistic missile from Dongchang-ri, Pyonganbuk-do Province, into the East Sea at 11:05 a.m. on Sunday, which flew some 800 kilometers before falling into the water.