Kim Jong Un oversees launch of nuclear-capable underwater drone: state media

North Korea says it has tested an underwater drone that tin unleash a "radioactive tsunami".

The "secret weapon" was enactment successful the waters disconnected South Hamgyong state connected Tuesday, authorities quality bureau KCNA says.

It cruised for implicit 59 hours astatine a extent of 80 to 150 metres and was detonated disconnected its eastbound coast.

But analysts impulse caution connected North Korea's assertion astir the capabilities of the caller weapon.

Dubbed "Haeil", Korean for tsunami, it is designed to onslaught force vessels and ports by mounting disconnected a "super-scale" radioactive wave, KCNA says.

"This atomic underwater onslaught drone tin beryllium deployed astatine immoderate seashore and larboard oregon towed by a aboveground vessel for operation," it adds.

North Korean person Kim Jong Un supervised this exercise, and said it should service arsenic a informing for the US and South Korea to "realise the DPRK's unlimited atomic warfare deterrence capableness being bolstered up astatine a greater speed", AFP reported.

Tensions connected the Korean peninsula person been moving high, arsenic the US and South Korea concluded the largest associated tract exercises successful 5 years connected Wednesday.

North Korea's latest limb appears to beryllium emulating Russian Poseidon torpedoes, said to beryllium susceptible of spawning radioactive water swells and atomic tsunamis that could destruct coastal cities successful the US.

But Leif-Eric Easley, a prof astatine Ewha University successful Seoul, said Pyongyang's latest assertion "should beryllium met with scepticism".

"It is intelligibly intended to amusement that the Kim authorities has truthful galore antithetic means of atomic onslaught that immoderate pre-emptive oregon decapitation onslaught against it would neglect disastrously," helium says.

"I thin to instrumentality North Korea seriously, but can't regularisation retired the anticipation that this is an effort astatine deception/psyop (psychological operations)," says Ankit Panda, a atomic weapons specializer astatine the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

South Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol says connected Friday that helium volition "make definite North Korea pays the terms for its reckless provocations".

"North Korea is advancing its atomic weapons by the day, and carrying retired rocket provocations with an unprecedented intensity," says Mr Yoon astatine a ceremonial marking West Sea Defence Day, an yearly vacation to commemorate the soldiers who died portion defending the Northern Limit Line, a disputed maritime borderline betwixt the Koreas.

Separately, the North fired strategical cruise missiles connected Wednesday "tipped with a trial warhead simulating a atomic warhead", KCNA says.

In 2022, North Korea launched much than 90 missiles - the astir it has ever fired successful a azygous twelvemonth to date - contempt being taxable to a raft of sanctions from the UN, the US, the EU and its neighbouring countries.

North Korea has go much assertive successful its atomic strategy nether Kim Jong Un, who has overseen overmuch of its caller improvement of its weapons programme, and 4 of the six atomic tests truthful far.