North Korea showcases new missile force (PHOTOS)

North Korea has bolstered its military capabilities with 250 new tactical ballistic missile launchers amid rising tensions with the US and South Korea, according to the state-run KCNA news agency.

The solemn ceremony marking the transfer of the new weapons took place in Pyongyang on Sunday and was attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and other top officials. The images shared by the agency show several rows of khaki-colored military vehicles, lined up in front of a large crowd.

While the type of the missiles was unclear, in early July North Korea claimed to have successfully tested the Hwasongpho-11Da-4.5 which can carry a 4.5 ton “super-large warhead” and has a maximum range of 500km, according to KCNA.

Noting that the systems would be transferred to “the frontier military units” – apparently those guarding the border with South Korea – Kim called the roll-out “another firm stepping stone for injecting vitality into the name and flag of the DPRK.” He hailed the weapons as “a powerful treasured sword,” that would “remarkably enhance [North Korea’s] prestige” and bolster its defense capabilities.

In a speech quoted by AP, Kim said that the military build-up was a response to what he called “increasingly savage” cooperation between the US and its regional allies. “It would be our choice to either pursue dialogue or confrontation, but our lesson and conclusion from the past 30 years… is that confrontation is what we should be prepared more thoroughly for,” he stated.

In recent months, North Korea has been actively test-firing missiles while voicing strong concerns about military drills involving the US on and near the Korean peninsula. Pyongyang has suggested that the exercises could be rehearsals for a possible invasion.

Meanwhile, Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesman for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, pushed back against Kim’s claims that the moves by Washington and Seoul pose a threat. “The primary reason for the threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is North Korea's illegal development of nuclear weapons and missiles, which directly threatens both South Korea and the world,” he stated, as quoted by Yonhap news agency.