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Kim Jong Un sparks WW3 panic after firing mystery projectile into ocean

Kim Jong Un has sparked WW3 panic after North Korea fired a mystery projectile 49 miles into the sea, triggering a military alert in South Korea and the US

[Kim Jong Un inspecting the test firing of strategic cruise missiles on the destroyer Choe Hyon ]

Kim Jong-un has ordered the launch of a mystery weapon into the ocean(Image: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Images)

Panic has erupted after tyrant Kim Jong-un ordered the launch of a mystery weapon into the ocean. South Korean military chiefs sounded the alarm on Tuesday, confirming an unidentified projectile was fired off the peninsula's west coast in North Korea's latest show of force.

The rogue state's new weapon reportedly flew roughly 49 miles before crashing into the Yellow Sea. Observers are concerned about the potential for escalation as Seoul scrambles to monitor the unfolding crisis, sharing vital intelligence with the US and Japan.

While South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff kept tight-lipped on further details, the provocative launch follows an April 19 drill where multiple short-range missiles were fired.

[North Korea conducting the test firing of the weapon systems on the destroyer Choe Hyon]

An unidentified projectile was fired off North Korea's west coast(Image: KCNA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

North Korean state media chillingly boasted that the previous test was a demonstration of cluster bomb warheads, the Mirror reports.

The supreme leader has been hellbent on expanding his apocalyptic nuclear and missile arsenals ever since his high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019.

While Trump has frequently teased a desire to get back to the negotiating table, Pyongyang has ghosted Washington's advances, demanding the US drop its insistence on North Korean nuclear disarmament before any talks can begin.

[A woman watches a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile tes]

Kim has been hellbent on expanding his apocalyptic nuclear and missile arsenals(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Dictator Kim has maintained a ruthless, hard-line stance against South Korea, officially branding his neighbours the North's permanent and most hostile enemy as diplomatic efforts rot.

The latest missile scare kicked off just hours after South Korean President Lee Jae-myung demanded a massive upgrade to his nation's military power during a cabinet meeting.

Lee is pushing hard for cutting-edge artificial intelligence, drone fleets, and even a nuclear-powered submarine.

While Lee avoided naming Kim's regime directly, he hammered home the need for South Korea to show the "resolve to take responsibility for and protect our own security ourselves," adding that a fiercely independent posture would actually tighten their alliance with America.

Meanwhile, rumours are growing that Chinese President Xi Jinping could make a summer trip to North Korea, according to a Seoul insider speaking to the Yonhap news agency.

Desperate to avoid a catastrophic conflict, South Korean officials are begging for calm.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il said: "We once again call on North Korea to respond to our peace policy and efforts to ease tensions."

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