Iran Press/Asia: The missile launch, the North’s fourth such action in less than two weeks, came amid stalled nuclear talks with Washington and US-South Korea military exercises, though the allies played down the tests.
Kim said the latest missile test was “an occasion to send an adequate warning to the joint military drill now underway by the US and South Korean authorities,” according to KCNA.
The “new-type tactical guided missiles,” launched from the western area of North Korea, flew across the peninsula “over the capital area and the central inland region” to “precisely hit the targeted islet” in the sea off the east coast of the country, the news agency said, confirming the South Korean military’s report of their trajectories on Tuesday.
The launches “clearly verified the reliability, security and actual war capacity” of the weapon, echoing analysts who said the launches showed North Korea’s confidence in its missile technology.
The United States and South Korea kicked off their largely computer simulated Dong Maeng exercises this week, which means “alliance,” as an alternative to previous large-scale annual drills that were halted to expedite denuclearisation talks.
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