North Korea Stages ‘Tactical Nuclear Attack’ Drill

This picture taken on September 2, 2023 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 3, 2023 shows a firing drill for simulated tactical nuclear attack at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
This picture taken on September 2, 2023 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 3, 2023 shows a firing drill for simulated tactical nuclear attack at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
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North Korea Stages ‘Tactical Nuclear Attack’ Drill

This picture taken on September 2, 2023 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 3, 2023 shows a firing drill for simulated tactical nuclear attack at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
This picture taken on September 2, 2023 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 3, 2023 shows a firing drill for simulated tactical nuclear attack at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)

North Korea conducted a simulated "tactical nuclear attack" drill on Saturday that included two long-range cruise missiles, state media reported on Sunday, as leader Kim Jong Un inspected shipbuilding and munitions factories.

The KCNA news agency said the drill was carried out early on Saturday to "warn enemies" that the country would be prepared in case of nuclear war as Pyongyang again vowed to bolster military deterrence against Washington and Seoul.

The two cruise missiles carrying mock nuclear warheads were fired towards the West Sea of the peninsula and flew 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) at a preset altitude of 150 meters.

A separate statement said Kim visited Pukjung Machine Complex, which produces marine engines, and a major munitions factory to stress the importance of strengthening Pyongyang's naval forces.

"He affirmed that a future plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK (Worker's Party of Korea) would set forth an important modernization of the complex and the development direction of the shipbuilding industry," the KCNA statement said.

The statement did not specify the date of his visit.

The latest missile test came just after the joint annual summertime exercises between South Korea and the US, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, came to a close on Thursday after an 11-day run, featuring air drills with B-1B bombers.

North Korea has been stepping up its military deterrence against Washington and Seoul and has criticized last month's summit agreement between the two on improving military cooperations.

A KCNA statement on Aug. 21 said Kim recently visited a navy fleet stationed on the east coast to oversee a test of strategic cruise missiles aboard a warship, and stressed the ship would maintain striking power for combat situations.



Afghans Arrive in the Philippines to Complete Visa Processing for Resettlement in US

This handout photo taken on January 6, 2025 and received from the US embassy in Manila shows Afghans, whose US Special Immigrant Visa will be processed, arriving at an airport terminal on the Philippines' Luzon island. (AFP)
This handout photo taken on January 6, 2025 and received from the US embassy in Manila shows Afghans, whose US Special Immigrant Visa will be processed, arriving at an airport terminal on the Philippines' Luzon island. (AFP)
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Afghans Arrive in the Philippines to Complete Visa Processing for Resettlement in US

This handout photo taken on January 6, 2025 and received from the US embassy in Manila shows Afghans, whose US Special Immigrant Visa will be processed, arriving at an airport terminal on the Philippines' Luzon island. (AFP)
This handout photo taken on January 6, 2025 and received from the US embassy in Manila shows Afghans, whose US Special Immigrant Visa will be processed, arriving at an airport terminal on the Philippines' Luzon island. (AFP)

A group of Afghan nationals arrived in the Philippines ⁠on Monday to process special immigrant visas for their resettlement in the United States, as part of an agreement between Manila and Washington.
The Philippines agreed last July to temporarily host a US immigrant visa processing center for a limited number of Afghan nationals aspiring to resettle in America.
Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Teresita Daza said the Afghan nationals who landed in the Philippines on Monday were provided entry visas. She said they had completed extensive security vetting and undergone full medical screenings prior to their arrival, The Associated Press said.
The US government will cover the costs for the Afghan nationals' stay in the Philippines, including their food, housing, security, medical and transportation expenses, she said.
She didn't specify how many Afghans arrived or how long the visa processing will take. Under the Philippines' rules, visa applicants can stay for no longer than 59 days.
A senior Philippine official told The Associated Press last year that only 150 to 300 applicants would be accommodated in the Philippines under the “one-time” deal. The official who had knowledge of the negotiations agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to speak publicly.
The Afghan nationals seeking resettlement primarily worked for the US government in Afghanistan or were deemed eligible for US special immigrant visas but were left behind when Washington withdrew from the country and Taliban militants took back power in a chaotic period in 2021.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken first relayed the request to his Philippines counterpart in 2022, and President Joe Biden discussed the request with Philippines leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he visited the US last year, Philippine officials said.
Marcos has rekindled relations with the US since winning the presidency by a landslide margin two years ago. In February last year, he allowed an expansion of the American military presence under a 2014 defense agreement in a decision that upset China.