North Korea announced on Wednesday that it had launched sea-to-surface cruise missiles into its western waters, showcasing its advancing military capabilities while U.S. President Donald Trump visits South Korea for a regional summit. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the missile tests conducted on Tuesday were successful, with the missiles flying over two hours and accurately hitting their targets, enhancing the country’s nuclear-armed military capabilities.
According to South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff, the military detected the launch preparations, and the cruise missiles were launched in North Korea’s northwestern waters around 3 p.m. local time on Tuesday. South Korea and the United States are currently analyzing the weapons and maintaining a joint defense readiness to respond dominantly to any provocations from North Korea.
The North Korean report was released just before an anticipated summit between Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in Gyeongju as part of this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings. The tests were overseen by senior military official Pak Jong Chon, who also supervised sailor training on North Korea’s newly developed destroyers, Choe Hyon and Kang Kon, deemed crucial assets by leader Kim Jong-un for strengthening the navy.
These recent missile launches followed last week’s tests involving a new hypersonic system for short-range ballistic missiles, aimed at bolstering North Korea’s nuclear deterrence capabilities. While Trump has expressed interest in meeting Kim during his South Korea visit and has a scheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, South Korean officials have indicated that a Trump-Kim meeting is unlikely.
Since the breakdown of Kim’s nuclear diplomacy with Trump in 2019, North Korea has avoided discussions with both Washington and Seoul. Kim has shifted his focus to Russia, sending troops and military equipment to support President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine and positioning North Korea against the U.S.-led West in what he envisions as a “new Cold War.” Kim has stated that North Korea will not engage in talks with the U.S. unless Washington abandons its denuclearization demands, despite Trump’s repeated calls for renewed diplomacy.
