North Korea on Tuesday reportedly conducted a huge live-fire drill that involved up to 400 artillery pieces, which may have been supervised by the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, as the U.S. added a nuclear-powered submarine to its fleet of vessels powering toward the region.
Pyongyang apparently deployed long-range artillery units in the coastal region of Wonsan, an unnamed government source told South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. South Korea’s military did not confirm the report, but told the news outlet it was “firmly maintaining readiness.”
There was speculation that the North might carry out another nuclear or missile test.
News of the live-fire drill came after the USS Michigan, the nuclear-powered Ohio class submarine, pulled into the South Korean port of Busan for a hull check.
The Ohio class submarine was set to join the USS Vinson aircraft carrier strike group for exercises in the Sea of Japan.
The USS Vinson aircraft carrier strike group made it to the Philippine Sea in waters south of Japan, according to senior U.S. defense officials.
When asked about the USS Michigan, Lieutenant commander Matt Knight with U.S. Pacific Fleet told Fox News in a statement the submarine was on “routine deployment.”
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SOURCE: Fox News
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