North Korea said on Wednesday it had fired cruise missiles into its western waters in a show of force as US President Donald Trump travels to South Korea for a regional summit.
The tests came as Pyongyang deepens military ties with Russia and continues to reject nuclear talks with Washington, France 24 reported. The South Korean military did not immediately confirm whether it had detected the tests.
“The missile test was successful”
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency called Tuesday’s tests a success. The cruise missiles were launched vertically and flew for more than two hours before accurately hitting their targets.
KCNA claimed the weapons would help expand the operational sphere of the country’s nuclear-armed military.
The South Korean military did not immediately confirm whether it had detected the tests.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not attend, according to KCNA.
However, the report reported that the tests were attended by senior military official Park Jong Chon, who also oversaw the training of sailors aboard North Korea’s newly developed Choe Hyon and Kang Kon destroyers, which leader Kim Jong Un has identified as key assets in his efforts to strengthen the navy.
Ballistic missile tests last week
North Korea’s latest launches followed short-range ballistic missile tests last week that it said included a new hypersonic system designed to boost its deterrent against nuclear war.
The missile, North Korea said, included a new hypersonic system designed to boost its deterrent against nuclear war.
The South Korean military then said it detected several short-range ballistic missiles that were fired from an area south of Pyongyang and flew about 350 kilometers (220 miles) toward the northeast.
Trump wants to meet Kim Jong-un
The North Korean news came hours before an expected summit between Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the city of Gyeongju, where South Korea is hosting this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting.
Trump is due to arrive in the South Korean city of Gyeongju on Wednesday to join other heads of state and businessmen attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum for various summits and meetings.
In addition, Trump has reportedly expressed interest in meeting Kim Jong-un during his stay in South Korea. However, according to the AP, South Korean officials said a Trump-Kim meeting was unlikely.
Trump is also scheduled to hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping there.
North Korea has avoided any form of talks with Washington and Seoul since Kim’s high-profile nuclear diplomacy with Trump fell apart in 2019 during the US president’s first term.
Kim’s top foreign policy priority is now Russia.
In recent months, he has sent thousands of troops and large amounts of military equipment to help fuel President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, while embracing the idea of a “new Cold War” and positioning his country as part of a united front against the US-led West.
Last month, Kim reiterated that he would not return to talks with the United States unless Washington dropped its demand for North Korea to denuclearize, after Trump repeatedly expressed his hopes for new diplomacy.
