"The leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong-un, observed the country's first 'nuclear-powered' submarine and oversaw the test-firing of new high-altitude, long-range anti-air missiles currently under development. Images released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Thursday show the DPRK leader monitoring the missile launch from the command centre as the missile soared into the sky, leaving a column of smoke.  According to the agency, the test-fire was 'successful' with missiles "accurately hitting the mock targets at an altitude of 200 km." On the same day, Kim Jong-un toured the construction of an 8,700-tonne nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine, accompanied by his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, and senior government officials. The DPRK leader reportedly gave a speech at the site, emphasising the development of a "nuclear shield capable of reliable deterrence" as a key component of the country's national defence strategy. "The completion of a new nuclear submarine will serve as an epoch-making, crucial change that further assures ourselves and even the enemy of the war deterrent level the DPRK has reached," he stated as cited by the KCNA. The submarine came as a countermeasure to the Republic of Korea's (ROK) plans to build nuclear-powered 'attack submarines' in cooperation with the US. According to the five-year weapons development plan set by Kim Jong-un in 2021, the under-construction submarine is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2025. At the moment, only six countries have nuclear-powered strategic submarines: the US, China, Russia, the UK, France and India."