North Korea announces it tests a nuclear-capable underwater drone in response to rivals’ naval drills

North Korea announced that it has tested a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone in response to a joint naval exercise by South Korea, the United States, and Japan. The drone is said to be designed to destroy naval vessels and ports. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated recently, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un scrapping the country’s goal of peaceful reunification with South Korea and escalating weapons testing.

The announcement comes after North Korea conducted its first ballistic missile test of 2024, describing it as a new solid-fuel, intermediate-range missile with a hypersonic warhead. The United States and its allies have strengthened their combined military exercises, while South Korea denounced North Korea’s recent tests as violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions.