North Korea tests new weapon system, Kim praises advance
State media said the test, overseen by Kim Jong-un, demonstrated advances in weapons technology; Seoul reported two short-range missiles earlier this week.
Mateo Fernandez ·
North Korea said it tested one new combat weapon system on Sunday, a move its leader called a demonstration of advanced defence technology.
Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North had fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea from the Wonsan area earlier this week.
Wonsan launches and leader's praise
State media quoted leader Kim Jong-un as calling the test “an unquestionable demonstration of advanced defence technology” and “a clear renewal in the modernisation of the armed forces,” and said the exercise took place in his presence.
The announcement did not identify the weapon system but said the test was “of significant importance for advancing weapons system technology,” and framed the development as relevant to the country's war preparedness and future force modernisation.
In a separate statement, a North Korean foreign ministry spokesperson denounced a recent report by a multilateral sanctions monitoring team as illegal, saying it “vividly revealed its true colours as a plot-breeding organisation which distorts normal as abnormal and brands legal as illegal.”
The monitoring team’s report, released last week, said Pyongyang continues to deploy workers abroad in violation of sanctions, citing roughly 100,000 workers in at least 17 countries, mostly in China and Russia, and alleging some involvement in drone production at overseas factories.
Watch for whether Pyongyang conducts additional tests through Sept. 29; any further launches will be used by regional capitals and monitoring bodies to reassess military readiness and sanctions enforcement.