Tensions ramp up as North Korea test-launches multiple cruise missiles

North Korea today test firing cruise missiles off at the East Coast in response to a Kim Jong-un scenes is growing aggression His words from South Korea and its allies That's coming just days after North Korea simulated a nuclear attack on South Korea Monday, which brings us to tonight's original In-depth reporting on a topic. We've been watching these latest missile launches by North Korea are in response to the biggest War games in the region between the US and South Korea in five years Our own Josh Letterman is there in the middle of the action behind the scenes for these live fire Exercises with artillery black Hawk choppers and more here's Josh Not far from the North Korean border US and South Korean troops are practicing for a war. They hope they'll never fight Over 11 days the two militaries training as one Firing live artillery flying attack helicopters and practicing amphibious operations war games The US says are defensive and no threat to North Korea unless it attacks first The US and South Korea haven't conducted war games on this scale in six years But after recent North Korean provocations including just today Military officials say they are more important than ever. Do you feel ready if the conflict were to break out here tonight? 100% absolutely in the middle of today's exercises North Korea launching multiple cruise missiles into the Sea of Japan a Searing reminder of what's at stake last year North Korea test fired more than 70 missiles the most ever Recent imagery from North Korean state media suggests the North is using underground silos military analysts say that could allow it to launch Ballistic missiles with no notice in the past. This was developmental testing, but now I think they're actually doing exercises So nuclear war fighting exercises ballistic missile attack exercises bomber run exercises So I don't call these developmental tests anymore after decades of tensions The US appears to have largely run out of options to deal with Pyongyang's growing nuclear threat Well, this South Korean commander says we'll establish a decisive battle posture to fight and win These military exercises are taking place just 10 miles from the demilitarized zone North Korea calls them rehearsals for an invasion Nothing motivates a US soldier to be all they can be more than Sleeping 10 miles from an adversary and when that adversary is firing ballistic missiles It provides an incredible focus to this training this week Kim Jong-un overseeing what North Korea called a simulation of a nuclear Counter-strike against US and South Korean forces at the North Korean leader side his daughter Kim Juei Believed to be about 10 years old until recently her existence was a mere rumor now North Korea is putting her front and center fueling intense speculation about whether she's being groomed to one day replace her father almost nothing is known about Kim Juei But South Korean intelligence believes she's being homeschooled and is an avid horseback rider You sang boom is a South Korean lawmaker on the National Assembly's intelligence committee He says eight of the ten times Kim Juei has been seen publicly have been at military function He says with North Korea suffering food shortages South Korean intelligence is picking up signs that starving North Koreans are growing angry at how the leader's daughter appears Well-dressed and well-fed North Korea experts say it's too soon to tell what role she'll play in the secretive nations future Or what her public debut means about the North's military intentions leaving the world once again guessing Josh Letterman is joining us now and Josh, you know for years. We've heard about tensions with North Korea This has been a pain point for almost every president Donald Trump took a very different tack than let's say Joe Biden right like two very different presidents two very different attitudes What is different now if anything? Well military officials say Hallie that it is different and it's perhaps not surprising that a lot of people are sort of Tuning this out because it feels like it's almost every day that the North is testing some type of missile But in the meantime, what has the North doing? They're testing their was song is 17 intercontinental ballistic missile the largest that they've ever developed They're using these underground silos that are so hard to detect a potential launch in advance And in the meantime, they're also working towards a solid fuel missile Which could be launched really at any time because they don't have to load it up with fuel in advance So those are very concerning Developments in their weapons program But in the meantime the North Koreans say look you guys are the ones who are 10 miles from our border Conducting these huge military war games the largest in six years. That is something different They call that a provocation and just in the last few hours Hallie North Korea has come out saying that any efforts by the United States to try to get them to get rid of their nuclear weapons Would be tantamount to a declaration of war Thanks for watching our YouTube channel follow today's top stories and breaking news by downloading the NBC News app.

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