North Korea launches long-range cruise missiles ‘to test nuclear deterrence’
North Korea fires missiles into the sea in latest nuclear weapons warning
- North Korea fired long-range strategic cruise missiles into the sea on Sunday, with leader Kim Jong Un overseeing the launches.
- Kim Jong Un expressed “great satisfaction”, stating the tests were a 'responsible exercise of the right to self-defence' against external security threats.
- South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the launches from North Korea's capital region and affirmed its readiness to repel provocations with the US.
- Although UN Security Council resolutions prohibit ballistic missile tests, cruise missile tests are not banned but are considered a threat due to their manoeuvrability.
- These launches are part of North Korea's ongoing efforts to expand its nuclear arsenal and introduce advanced weapon systems, following the collapse of diplomacy with a US president in 2019.