North Korea tests strategic cruise missiles, KCNA says

North Korea test-fired strategic cruise missiles on Monday, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Tuesday, in another display of weapons capabilities amid tensions on the Korean peninsula.

KCNA said the test improved the missile’s terminal manoeuvrability and its ability to deliver a vertical strike against a target. It said a medium-sized dispersal warhead on the cruise missile could affect an area of five to six hectares.

KCNA quoted the general director of North Korea’s Missile Administration as saying the test was conducted because the armed forces needed to defend the country’s security and deter threats.

The launch came a day after North Korea tested cluster bomb warheads, according to state media. Tensions with South Korea have risen after a landmine blast along the heavily fortified border wounded three South Korean soldiers.

South Korea’s military did not announce the cruise missile launch. Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Jang Do-young said Monday, when asked about the previous day’s reported test, that South Korea and the United States were conducting a detailed analysis of its characteristics and specifications.

Unlike ballistic missile launches, North Korean cruise missile tests are not prohibited by UN Security Council sanctions.