This was the eighth launch conducted by North Korea this year.
North Korea announced that it conducted tests of a new light multipurpose rocket launcher system and a tactical cruise missile complex the day before. These military tests, initially reported by the South Korean army, were conducted under the supervision of Kim Jong Un, according to KCNA.
Earlier, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea reported that "several projectiles" were launched into the Yellow Sea, including a short-range ballistic missile fired from the North Korean city of Chongju.
According to KCNA, the test allowed for the "analysis and evaluation of the power of a special warhead for a tactical ballistic missile, as well as the reliability of a guided 240-mm artillery shell with extended range, equipped with a highly accurate autonomous navigation system."
"These key weapon systems are a clear testament to the strengthening of our military power and a demonstration of significant technical progress," Kim Jong Un was quoted as saying by the agency. "It is extremely important for our army's operations to possess such destructive power, sufficient to render any enemy force theoretically incapable of survival, except by sheer luck," he added.
KCNA published a photograph showing the North Korean leader next to a mobile launcher.
In recent weeks, North Korea has significantly increased the number of missile tests. Analysts believe that it seeks to take advantage of the weakening of international norms amid the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East to strengthen its status as a nuclear power. This was the eighth launch conducted by North Korea this year.
The new launches occurred against the backdrop of reports from the South Korean agency Yonhap News about a possible visit by the Chairman of China to North Korea this week, citing unnamed government sources. Neither side has officially confirmed this visit.
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