Seoul: North Korea announced on Wednesday that it had test-fired sea-to-surface strategic cruise missiles in the Yellow Sea the previous day. This action occurred just before U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the missile launch was timed as President Trump expressed his intention to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to South Korea from October 29-30 for the APEC meetings. The test involved cruise missiles which were improved for ship-based launches; they were fired vertically and flew for over 7,800 seconds along a preset route above the Yellow Sea to successfully hit the target, as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). However, other specifics, such as the flight distance, were not disclosed.
Notably, the test was conducted without the presence of the North Korean leader. State media aimed at domestic audiences, such as the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, did not cover this missile launch. Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, stated that the North has made significant advancements in establishing the country's nuclear forces on a "practical basis."
Pak emphasized the importance of continuously testing the reliability of strategic offensive means to demonstrate their capabilities to adversaries. He underscored the need to persistently enhance North Korea's combat capability, highlighting the nation's "responsible mission and duty" to strengthen its nuclear combat posture.
Furthermore, the KCNA reported that Pak reviewed the training of sailors on new 5,000-ton destroyers, named Choe Hyon and Kang Kon, focusing on operating the warships and their weapons systems.