North Korea has test-fired a newly designed air-defence missile system, with leader Kim Jong Un watching the launch, according to state media.
The test took place on Wednesday and was reported on Thursday by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea’s state news agency. The stated purpose of the test was to confirm the new system’s technical specifications and reliability.
The test was carried out by North Korea’s Missile Administration. Alongside the air-defence system, the test also involved the launch of long-range strategic cruise missiles.
KCNA was quoted as saying the test was a success and that the new system was confirmed to be highly reliable and effective. The agency described the test as an important step in enhancing the country’s air-defence capabilities.
Kim Jong Un was reported as saying the tests demonstrated the country’s defensive capabilities and that the new system would be deployed to key strategic areas.
The test took place at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea and the United States have been conducting joint military exercises, which North Korea has regularly criticised.
North Korea has carried out a series of missile tests in recent years as it develops its weapons programmes, and its state media usually reports such tests a day after they take place, with photographs and descriptions of the systems involved.
Air-defence systems are designed to shoot down incoming aircraft and missiles, and North Korea has presented the new system as a defensive weapon. Outside analysts often study the images and technical details released by Pyongyang to assess how advanced its systems have become.
The launch of long-range strategic cruise missiles alongside the air-defence test adds a further element to the exercise. Cruise missiles fly at low altitude and can be harder to detect than ballistic missiles, and North Korea has been working on them as part of its wider weapons development.
For South Korea and the United States, the test is the latest in a pattern of North Korean weapons activity that they monitor closely. Joint exercises between the two allies are presented by them as defensive, while Pyongyang describes them as preparations for an attack.
The reaction from neighbouring countries and from the United Nations is likely to follow the usual pattern, with calls for restraint and for a return to dialogue over the Korean Peninsula’s nuclear and missile programmes.
Further details about the system, including its range and the number of missiles involved in the test, have not been released. What is confirmed is that the test took place, that Kim Jong Un observed it, and that North Korea’s state media has declared it a success.
