North Korean leader Kim with his daughter observes missile launcher system test

(Patria) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his teenage daughter, observed a test firing of multiple rocket launcher systems, state media reported on Sunday, likely in response to ongoing US-South Korean military drills that North Korea views as a rehearsal for invasion, AP reported.

The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim observed a strike drill with twelve 600mm ultra-precise rocket launchers off the east coast of North Korea on Saturday.

The South Korean military said on Saturday that it detected about ten ballistic missiles fired from the vicinity of North Korea's capital towards the East Sea. The South Korean National Security Council called the launches a provocation that violated United Nations Security Council resolutions prohibiting any ballistic activities by North Korea.

KCNA quoted Kim as saying that the drill would put enemies within a strike range of 420 kilometers in "discomfort" and give them a "deep understanding of the destructive power of tactical nuclear weapons."

He was apparently referring to South Korea and US troops stationed in South Korea.

"If these weapons are used, enemy military infrastructure within their range will never survive," Kim said, according to KCNA.

KCNA photos show Kim and his daughter, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae, about thirteen years old, walking alongside huge olive-green launch trucks and observing the rocket launchers. The girl has been accompanying her father to numerous important events such as missile tests and military parades since late 2022, fueling speculation that she is being groomed as his successor.

Experts say North Korea's large rocket launchers blur the lines between artillery systems and ballistic missiles as they can generate their own thrust and are guided during flight toward a target. North Korea has said some of these systems are capable of delivering nuclear warheads.

The spring US-South Korean drills, dubbed "Freedom Shield," a command post computer-simulated exercise, will last until March 19.

North Korea often responds to the drills with its own weapons tests and strong rhetoric.