North Korea carried out test 'nuclear strike' in the dark after Kim Jong-un accused US of 'invasion rehearsals'

North Korea doesn't seem to be able to sit calm even for a split second. According to the latest reports from the North Korean state media, the rogue nation carried out a "scorched earth" simulated nuclear strike against its bitter enemy South Korea. While the missile test launches looked the same as usual, the unusual detailing of the late-night plot alarmingly sets it apart from the rest. 

What happened?

• The North Korean state media said on Thursday, August 31 that Pyongyang fired two short-range ballistic missiles in the cover of the night in a test that simulated a "nuclear strike" against enemies. 

• The general staff of the North Korean People's Army (KPA) referred to the tests as a "nuclear strike mission" in a statement to KCNA. 
• The details revealed that it was a drill to repel a sudden invasion using nuclear weapons on South Korea and then swooping in to take over the southern half of the peninsula. 
• It also involved "simultaneous super-intense strikes" on South's military command centres, ports and operational airfields. 
• South Korean authorities said that the missiles were launched from around Pyongyang and landed off the peninsula's east coast after travelling some 360 kms. 

The reaction

• South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff also called the test drill a "grave provocation". 

Furthermore, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said this: 

• The "scorched earth" test nuclear strikes by North Korea came after the US carried out a trilateral maritime wargaming exercise with South Korea and Japan.
• Kim Jong-un called the exercises "invasion rehearsals". He also announced that North Korea would bring maritime forces into its nuclear deterrence plans. 

There is also much more to be concerned about North Korea than the recent test "nuclear strikes". US national security spokesperson John Kirby said Wednesday that arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea are "actively advancing". 

Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, also reportedly recently travelled to North Korea to convince the regime to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. All of this comes after North Korea failed to send a spy satellite into the Earth's orbit.