North Korea announced on Wednesday that it had conducted a successful test of sea-to-surface cruise missiles in its western waters. This demonstration showcased the country’s advancing military capabilities while U.S. President Donald Trump visited South Korea for a regional summit.
According to North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the cruise missiles were launched on Tuesday and flew for over two hours, hitting targets with precision. The agency stated that these missiles would enhance the operational range of North Korea’s nuclear-armed forces.
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff confirmed the launch preparations and reported that the cruise missiles were fired in North Korea’s northwestern waters around 3 p.m. local time on Tuesday. Both South Korea and the United States are closely examining the weapons and maintaining a joint defense readiness to swiftly respond to any provocations from North Korea.
The North Korean report coincided with an upcoming summit between President Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in Gyeongju, where this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings are being hosted.
KCNA mentioned that senior military official Pak Jong Chon oversaw the missile tests and also inspected sailor training on North Korea’s newly developed destroyers, Choe Hyon and Kang Kon, which leader Kim Jong-un has emphasized as crucial assets to bolster the country’s navy.
These latest missile launches followed last week’s tests of short-range ballistic missiles, where North Korea introduced a new hypersonic system to enhance its nuclear deterrence capabilities.
While President Trump expressed interest in meeting Kim during his visit to South Korea and his scheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, South Korean officials have indicated that a Trump-Kim meeting is unlikely. North Korea has refrained from engaging in talks with Washington and Seoul since the breakdown of Kim’s nuclear diplomacy with Trump in 2019.
Kim Jong-un’s current foreign policy focus is on Russia, as he has recently deployed troops and military equipment to support President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine, aligning his country with the concept of a “new Cold War” and positioning it against the U.S.-led Western nations. Kim has reiterated that North Korea will not resume talks with the United States unless the demand for denuclearization is dropped, despite Trump’s repeated calls for renewed diplomacy.