Seoul: North Korea has tested two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles in the East Sea, state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday, following the tests conducted on Wednesday.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, citing KCNA, the tests were intended to assess the operational readiness of underwater weapons systems. The report said the exercise evaluated the navy’s ability to carry out strategic operations and demonstrated the reliability and effectiveness of the country’s deterrent weapons.
The missile tests were monitored by Kim Jong-sik, a member of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, Jang Chang-ha, director-general of the Missile Administration, and engineers involved in the navy’s submarine-based weapons systems, according to the report.
The development comes days after North Korea tested tactical ballistic missiles towards the East Sea from the Pyongyang area on Monday. On Tuesday, North Korea said the earlier test was intended to verify the success of research aimed at technically upgrading a key component.
With the latest cruise missile tests, North Korea has focused on assessing the readiness of its submarine-based weapons systems. However, the KCNA report did not provide details about the missiles’ range, the technical results of the tests or the submarine used in the exercise.
