The debut followed the North’s first test of a new surface-to-air missile and the arrival of a U.S. nuclear-powered attack sub for a port call in South Korea.

The U.S. military operation that captured Maduro could reinforce N. Korean leader Kim Jong Un's belief that nuclear weapons are essential for survival

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement it detected several ballistic missile launches from North Korea's capital region around 7:50 a.m. It stated that the missiles flew approximately 560 miles and that South Korean and U.S. authorities were analyzing the details of the launches.

Relations with Beijing will also improve considerably. North Korea will seek normalisation of trade relations and economic assistance from China, while China will attempt to manage conflict escalation on the Korean Peninsula. Both China and Russia are likely to show a more tolerant attitude towards North Korea’s nuclear weapons status.

North Korea's state media released photos Thursday of what it said was the hull of a nuclear submarine. Its leader denounced South Korea's plans to build its own subs as "an offensive act."

North Korea displayed apparent progress in the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine, with state media photos showing a largely completed hull as leader Kim Jong Un condemned rival South Korea’s

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected a munitions factory producing tactical guided weapons and instructed officials to expand production capacity.