Photo: Edgar Su/REUTERS/
KCNA said Chairman Kim joined a naval fleet on the nation's east coast to supervise a test conducted on a warship, but the agency did not give a specific date.
The test firing was aimed at determining the “combat capabilities of the ship and the characteristics of the missile system” and improving the sailors’ ability to perform “strike missions in a war situation.”
“The ship continuously hit the target accurately and without any deviation,” KCNA said.
Mr. Kim praised the ship for maintaining “high maneuverability and great striking power as well as a state of constant combat readiness to cope with unexpected situations.”
The missile test comes after South Korea and the United States kicked off their summer military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, on Monday. The exercise is designed to improve the two countries’ ability to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
Pyongyang has accused the two countries of holding military exercises as preparations for nuclear war.
The South Korean military said this year's exercise would be carried out on an "unprecedented scale", mobilizing tens of thousands of troops from both countries, as well as several member states of the United Nations Command.
South Korean lawmakers have said North Korea could fire an intercontinental ballistic missile or take other military action in protest at the drills and a summit this week between South Korea, the United States and Japan.
North Korea has been testing what it calls a “strategic cruise missile” since late 2021. Some analysts say the missile could be armed with a nuclear warhead. As it modernizes and improves its naval forces, North Korea displayed a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone in March.
On board, Mr Kim pledged to strengthen the navy through “improving combat effectiveness and modern equipment for attack and defense on the surface and under the sea”.
“We will accelerate the modernization of naval weapons and equipment systems, including through the construction of more modern warships and the development of ship-borne and undersea weapons systems.
The Navy needs to continuously ensure high mobility and continuously improve its operational capabilities in actual warfare, so that it can proactively carry out combat missions in unfavorable situations,” Chairman Kim said .
Nguyen Quang Minh
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