North Korea says launched cruise missiles in 'counterattack' drills
North Korea's military has test-launched its strategic cruise missiles on the coast of the West Sea of Korea, also known as the Yellow Sea, in a drill showcasing its "counterattack" capabilities.
The drill, which was conducted on Wednesday and attended by the country's leader Kim Jong-un, aimed to show North Korea's "counterattack capability in any space and the readiness of its various nuke operation means," Pyongyang said, according to KCNA state news agency on Friday.
It also sought to demonstrate the prowess of the country's "state nuclear deterrence," Pyongyang added.
The missiles flew for 130 minutes and traveled at a 1,587 kilometer-long trajectory before they "precisely hit the targets," it further added.
KCNA did not say where the test took place, but NK News, an American news website that provides stories and analyses about North Korea, said the drill likely took place near the city of Nampho, roughly 130 kilometers from the border with South Korea.
South Korea's military said it had "tracked and monitored North Korea's launch of several cruise missiles" on Wednesday.
"Our military is closely monitoring various North Korean trends... while maintaining the ability and posture to overwhelmingly respond to any provocation," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
North Korea's leader said at the test-launching event that it was the duty of North Korea's nuclear forces to "defend the national sovereignty and security" of the nation with "powerful striking capability", KCNA said.
He added that the military's nuclear arsenal served as "the most perfect deterrence and defense" for the nation.
According to Yang Moo-jin, the president of the University of North Korean Studies, Pyongyang's tests could have served as a "stepping stone to check the readiness for nuclear operation."
North Korea could "gradually increase the level and frequency" of the tests in the future, Yang pointed out.
This comes as diplomatic relations between Pyongyang and Seoul have been at one of their lowest points in past years.
Repeated joint military drills by South Korea and the US have compelled the North to continuously develop its nuclear and missile technology.
Pyongyang sees the joint South Korea-US military drills as a rehearsal for an invasion.
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North Korea says launched cruise missiles in 'counterattack' drills
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