North Korea announced on Thursday that various new weapon systems, including ballistic missiles equipped with cluster warheads, were used in tests this week as part of efforts to expand its nuclear forces aimed at confronting South Korea, UNN reports with reference to AP.
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The report from North Korean state media came a day after the South Korean military said it had detected several missiles launched by North Korea from its eastern coast, the second round of launches in two days.
DPRK launched a ballistic missile 700 kilometers towards the East Sea08.04.26, 11:29
The official North Korean news agency KCNA reported that the tests lasted three days, starting on Monday, and also included a demonstration of anti-aircraft weapons, allegedly electromagnetic weapon systems, and carbon fiber bombs.
The US military said that North Korean launches on Tuesday and Wednesday posed no immediate threat to the United States or its allies.
KCNA reported that the latest tests included a demonstration of cluster warhead systems mounted on Hwasong-11 ballistic missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads. These missiles are similar in design to Russian Iskander missiles, designed to fly at low altitudes and maneuver to evade missile defense systems. The report states that the launches confirmed that a short-range missile equipped with such warheads "can turn any target covering an area of 6.5-7 hectares into ashes with maximum power density."
Chang Do-young, a spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a briefing that the military was analyzing the launches and sharing information with American and Japanese counterparts, but declined to give specific assessments of North Korea's claims of progress in developing its military capabilities.
The launches underscored the persistent tension between the Koreas, dimming South Korea's hopes for a warming of relations.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, Chang Kum Chol, the first vice minister of Pyongyang's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that South Korea would always remain North Korea's "most hostile state" and ridiculed Seoul's liberal government for trying to resume a long-stalled dialogue, calling its officials "impressive fools."
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has virtually suspended diplomatic relations with Seoul and Washington after the failure of his nuclear talks with US President Donald Trump in 2019 and has since accelerated the development of nuclear-capable missiles that threaten US allies in Asia, as well as the continental US.
Kim also seeks closer ties with Russia, China, and other countries involved in confrontation with the United States, seeking to break out of isolation and strengthen his position in the region. North Korean state media reported that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi would arrive in the country on Thursday for a two-day visit as part of another round of diplomatic talks between the countries.