SEOUL, South Korea – The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) made headlines on Sunday after state media KCNA reported on a successful strategic cruise missile test conducted by the country. According to the report, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the test, which was described as a test-fire of an “important weapon system.” The underwater-to-surface strategic cruise missiles reportedly traveled a distance of 1,500 kilometers (approximately 932 miles) and flew for a duration between 7,507 and 7,511 seconds before hitting their intended targets.
In a separate report by KCNA on Sunday, North Korea’s foreign ministry issued a statement vowing to take “the toughest counteraction” against the United States as long as Washington “refuses” to acknowledge Pyongyang’s sovereignty. The ministry specifically blamed the growing tensions in the region on the military alliance and joint drills between South Korea and the U.S. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed intentions to reach out to Kim once again, highlighting their working relationship established during Trump’s first term in office.
Kim Jong Un was quoted as declaring that North Korea’s war deterrence capabilities are being enhanced, with a commitment to further strengthen the country’s military. The leader emphasized the importance of North Korea’s role in defending peace and stability in the region based on a more robust military force in the future. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff later confirmed that North Korea had fired multiple cruise missiles from inland areas toward waters off the west coast at a local time of 4 p.m. on Saturday. The missile test was reportedly part of North Korea’s efforts to enhance its national defense capabilities in response to changing safety circumstances in the region.
Earlier this month, North Korea’s state media had also reported on Kim Jong Un overseeing a successful test of a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile (IRBM). The recent strategic cruise missile test adds to the ongoing developments in North Korea’s military capabilities, raising concerns and drawing attention to the volatile geopolitical situation in the region.