Kim Jong Un seen driving rocket launcher ahead of North Korea’s biggest political event

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was seen at the wheel of a nuclear-capable multiple rocket launcher vehicle at a ceremony ahead of the country’s biggest political event on Friday.

Mr Kim was seen driving the mobile rocket launcher, which is among the most powerful of its type in the world, as he flexed North Korea’s growing military muscle ahead of the ninth Workers' Party Congress in Pyongyang.

The ruling party’s congress is a tool for North Korea to issue propaganda messages to the world and to decide on the next political, economic, and military priorities. The North Korean media routinely puts out images of the authoritarian ruler inspecting the military and infrastructure to boost the country’s image.

Mr Kim vowed to lift living standards as he opened the congress, according to state media reports.

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“Today, our party is faced with heavy and urgent historic tasks of boosting economic construction and the people’s standard of living, and transforming all realms of state and social life as early as possible,” Mr Kim was quoted as saying in his opening speech at congress by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“This requires us to wage a more active and persistent struggle without allowing even a moment’s standstill or stagnation,” he said.

On Wednesday, he was was seen alighting a mobile missile launcher near the main stage at the ceremony where 50 carriers of the 600mm-rocket system queued up in rows of seven in a square.

Donning his trademark black leather jacket, Mr Kim was seen waving at the crowd as he sat behind the wheel. He was seen alighting the mobile missile launcher near the main stage as thousands of people waved North Korean flags.

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He also promoted the artillery and said the 600mm rockets are as good as short-range ballistic missiles. These are also double the size found in most multiple rocket launchers.

“No other nations have got this kind of weapon system,” Mr Kim said, claiming that their use of artificial intelligence in their guidance systems is placing the weapons in a league above all.

It “has completely changed the role and conception of artillery accepted by modern warfare,” he said, according to KCNA.

The North Korean dictator has visited various military and economic facilities ahead of the congress, such as a cruise missile launch site and a large-scale greenhouse farm, to promote his accomplishments in national policy.

The party’s political bureau held a meeting last Saturday to prepare for the congress, state media KCNA reported. Mr Kim said: “Our army has proved before the times and history that it is its mettle and original features to quicken more enormous and vigorous strides for loyalty and feats the greater the trust in and expectation for it is.

“As you are all prepared for, this is a year of tremendous transformation, when the fighting front of our army will become more widened and which will demand more strenuous efforts.

“Likewise, the coming five years that will be indicated by the Ninth Congress of the Party will be years when our army’s outstanding role that no one else can perform will become further enhanced.”