The US military stated on Sunday (September 12) that North Korea’s weekend missile launches presented “threats” to the country’s neighbours and beyond.
“This activity demonstrates DPRK’s continued dedication on expanding its military programme and the challenges it poses to its neighbours and the world community,” the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.
On Monday morning local time, North Korean official media stated that the country had tested a new “far-range cruise missile” on Saturday and Sunday, amid a long standoff with the US over its nuclear programme.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency, the missiles flew 1,500 kilometres above North Korea’s territorial waters, including figure-of-eight patterns, to hit their targets.
The missile was described as a “strategic weapon of considerable significance” in the report, which also stated that the tests were successful and that the missile provided the country with “another powerful deterrence tool” against “hostile forces.”
International sanctions have been imposed on North Korea for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, which it claims are necessary to guard against a US invasion.
Pyongyang, on the other hand, is not prohibited from producing cruise missiles, which it has already tested.
