North Korea Conducts First Missile Test as No Progress in Talks With The U.S.
Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch and testing of a new type of tactical guided weapon on Wednesday, according to North Korea state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Mumbai, April 18: Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch and testing of a new type of tactical guided weapon on Wednesday, according to North Korea state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The missile has a “peculiar mode of guiding flight” and “a powerful warhead,” KCNA said. Kim said “the completion of the development of the weapon system serves as an event of very weighty significance in increasing the combat power” of the North Korean army, according to KCNA.
The state media did not elaborate on whether the weapon was a missile or another type of weapon, but “tactical” hints at a short-range weapon.
The weapon test was announced after reports came of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un showing up unannounced at an air force base to inspect a flight drill and expressing “great satisfaction” at their combat readiness.
This was the first time in five months that Kim Jong-Un publicly inspected a military drill, and said only a strong army can secure peace, state media reported. Kim reportedly warned soldiers on the dangers of being caught off-guard, according to KCNA. "The air of peace that has arrived on the Korean Peninsula is not stable, nor have the aggressions of the hostile forces disappeared," Kim said. "Only a strong military can guarantee peace." Read: Kim Jong-Un Warns of 'Dark and Dangerous Future' As North Korea, U.S. Negotiators at an Impasse
The weapon test combined with overseeing the air force exercises come just a week before Kim Jong-un is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and South Korean president Moon Jae-in. There is no confirmation on the location for the meet but some reports suggest it could happen in Vladivostok.
These manoeuvres by Kim Jong-un also explicitly send a message to the U.S. that North Korea is losing patience with the negotiation process after the failed Hanoi Summit and will not wait around forever to see the relationship turn the corner.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 18, 2019 07:42 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).