North Korea launched “strategic” cruise missiles off its west coast this week, state media said on Friday, in a test supervised by leader Kim Jong Un, who called on the military to be prepared for war.
It fired two cruise missiles on Wednesday, both flying just over 1,500 kilometers (1,000 miles) in two hours and twelve minutes, the North’s Rodong Sinmun reported.
North Korea’s description of the missiles as “strategic” implies they have the ability to carry nuclear warheads, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
The launch was “to inform adversaries, who are severely threatening the security environment of the DPRK and escalating confrontational tensions, about the retaliatory capabilities of the Korean People’s Army in any space and the readiness of its various nuclear operational means,” Rodong Sinmun said.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK, is the North’s official name.
Kim “expressed satisfaction” over the drill, the North’s Korean Central News Agency reported.
“What is guaranteed by powerful striking ability is the most perfect deterrence and defense capacity,” Kim said, adding that the nuclear and armed forces had a responsibility to defend the country with a “reliable nuclear shield by getting more thorough battle readiness of nuclear force and full preparedness for their use.”
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it was keeping a close eye on North Korea with its U.S. ally.
“Our military is closely monitoring various North Korean activities under the firm South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture so that North Korea does not misjudge the current security situation,” the South Korean military said in a statement to media..
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It is just over a month since North Korea last launched cruise missiles, five days after the Jan. 20 inauguration of Donald Trump for his second term as U.S. president.
Trump has hinted that he wants to resume direct talks with Kim Jong Un, although three meetings with the North Korean leader during his first term failed to get any commitment on ending North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs in exchange for sanctions relief.
On Wednesday, marines from the U.S. and South Korea began a 10-day reconnaissance exercise, Yonhap said, citing the South’s Marine Corps. Next month, the two militaries take part in the Freedom Shield joint exercise, which is likely to further antagonize North Korea.
Edited by Mike Firn.