North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at a ceremony in the capital Pyongyang, got behind the wheel of a multiple launch rocket system capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and called the weapon one of the most powerful in the world, according to North Korean state media reports, UNN writes with reference to CNN.
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North Korean state media regularly publish prominent images of their leader to bolster his reputation domestically and send threatening signals to perceived enemies, the publication notes.
The authoritarian one-party state is preparing for a key party congress this month, when the North Korean propaganda machine and demonstrations of its armed forces often begin to operate at full capacity, the publication writes.
Wednesday's demonstration came as North Korea continues to support Russia in its illegal invasion of Ukraine, supplying Moscow with missiles and thousands of troops.
Analysts say that the experience North Korean military personnel are gaining in fighting against Ukraine - along with possible technical know-how from Moscow - could help them improve their weaponry and tactics.
Relations between Pyongyang and Seoul, which is supported by tens of thousands of American troops, also remain tense.
The latest footage from North Korean state media showed 50 carriers of 600mm missile systems, arranged in rows of seven in a square. Each of the four-axle transporters and launchers has five missile tubes.
The footage shows Kim Jong Un in a black jacket emerging from a mobile launcher near the main stage, while thousands of people wave small North Korean flags.
He is also pictured with a broad smile behind the wheel.
"He personally drove the launcher to inspect the weaponry, which symbolizes absolute power, placed in the square in front of the venue of the solemn party congress," North Korean state news agency KCNA reported.
Kim Jong Un said that 600mm missiles - twice the size of most multiple launch rocket systems - are no less capable than short-range ballistic missiles.
And the use of artificial intelligence in guidance systems puts them in a separate class.
"No other country has such a weapon system," Kim said, according to the state news agency KCNA.
It "completely changed the role and concept of artillery in modern warfare."
This is not the first time Kim has touted 600mm launchers. In late 2022, his regime demonstrated 30 launchers of the same size, but they were mounted on tracked vehicles, each carrying six missiles.
According to KCNA, the missile system has all of South Korea within range and can be loaded with tactical nuclear warheads.
However, international observers believe that North Korea has only about 50 nuclear warheads, and enough material to build another 30-40.
In addition to multiple launch rocket systems, Pyongyang has a range of nuclear delivery vehicles, from intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the continental United States, to short-range weapons that can allegedly be used on the Korean Peninsula or to strike enemy targets in the western Pacific.
North Korea has thousands of conventional artillery pieces that can inflict serious damage on South Korea.
Two years ago, it conducted a large-scale demonstration of the firepower of "long-range artillery units near the border that put the enemy's capital in the strike zone," KCNA reported.
A 2020 report by the Washington-based RAND Corp. think tank stated that North Korea's artillery systems, numbering nearly 6,000 large-caliber guns within range of major South Korean population centers, pose as great a danger to South Korea as Kim's nuclear weapons and missile programs.
"When firing at civilian targets, these nearly 6,000 systems could potentially kill more than 10,000 people in an hour," the RAND report said.
The wheeled launchers unveiled on Wednesday were positioned in front of the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang. The military exhibition was surrounded by red banners and posters dedicated to the upcoming Ninth Party Congress.
Pyongyang often showcases new weaponry before party meetings, key events, and anniversaries.
On Wednesday, Kim Jong Un hinted that more military equipment could be demonstrated in the coming days.
"The Ninth Congress of our party will clearly mark the next stage of the plan and goal of strengthening self-reliant defense capabilities," Kim said, calling on weapons developers and ammunition manufacturers to work harder to implement the party's strategic plan.
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