SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the firing of “cutting-edge” hypersonic missiles to ready Pyongyang’s nuclear forces for war, state media reported Monday, saying “geopolitical crisis” made the test even more urgent in a clear nod to this weekend’s US attack on Venezuela.

Seoul and Tokyo said Sunday they had detected the launch from near Pyongyang of two ballistic missiles — the country’s first test of the year, just hours before South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung headed to Beijing for a summit.

Lee has said he hopes to use his visit to leverage China’s influence over North Korea to improve Seoul’s relations with Pyongyang.

On Monday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Kim as saying the test showed “the readiness of the DPRK’s nuclear forces”, referring to North Korea by its official name.

“Important achievements have been recently made in putting our nuclear forces on a practical basis and preparing them for an actual war,” Kim was quoted as saying by KCNA.

Pyongyang’s activity, he said, was “aimed at gradually putting the nuclear war deterrent on a highly developed basis”.

Photos shared by state media showed Kim puffing on a cigarette, accompanied by top officials as a missile soars into the early morning sky.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2026