Kim Jong Un Oversees Rocket Launch Amid Tensions

North Korean state media released images of leader Kim Jong Un supervising tests of a multiple rocket launcher system, a day after South Korea accused Pyongyang of firing a volley of short-range ballistic missiles.

The photos showed Kim overseeing the simultaneous launch of what appeared to be 18 projectiles from "super-large multiple rocket sub-units", according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

Analysts suggest North Korea could be testing and increasing production of artillery and cruise missiles before potentially sending them to Russia for use in Ukraine, which the Pentagon confirmed in a new report.

The images depicted the 600mm multiple launch rocket system that North Korea has said can carry nuclear warheads. The drills demonstrated consequences rivals would face if provoked, claiming Pyongyang "will not hesitate" to preemptively attack in self-defense. It said the rockets accurately hit an island target 365 km away.

South Korea's military detected around 10 short-range ballistic missile launches by North Korea, violating UN sanctions. The U.S. condemned the "reckless behavior" posing a grave threat.

The launches came days after a failed North Korean satellite launch attempt and the sending of trash-filled balloons across the border, seen as retaliation for anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent from the South.

Analysts say the actions aimed to divert from the satellite failure while asserting military control on the peninsula. North Korea also accused the U.S. of deploying spy planes for "round-the-clock monitoring", vowing "unforeseen disaster" for such "espionage."

Meanwhile, the new Pentagon report confirmed Russia is using North Korean ballistic missiles in Ukraine based on debris analysis, as Pyongyang claims it is equipping its military with new rocket launchers this year.