North Korean state media reported that two new air defense missiles were tested under the supervision of the nation’s leader, Kim Jong Un. The missiles reportedly have “superior combat capability” and utilize a “unique technology,” according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), although details were not provided. The tests, conducted on Saturday, demonstrated that the missiles are highly suitable for targeting various aerial threats, including drones and cruise missiles, KCNA stated.
The test occurred shortly after South Korea confirmed firing warning shots at North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Tuesday. United Nations Command acknowledged that approximately 30 North Korean troops crossed the heavily fortified border, as reported by Yonhap News Agency. In response, Pyongyang accused Seoul of “deliberate provocation.”
Since Monday, South Korea and the United States have been conducting large-scale joint military exercises in the area. US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung at a summit in Washington on Monday. The newly elected South Korean president campaigned on enhancing inter-Korean relations. However, Kim’s sister has rejected reconciliation efforts made by Lee’s administration.
Earlier this month, Kim criticized the joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, labeling them as “most hostile and confrontational.” He pledged to expedite the expansion of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. In January, North Korea claimed to have launched a new intermediate-range ballistic missile with a hypersonic warhead, which it asserted would effectively deter any rivals in the Pacific region.
Senior South Korean officials have expressed concerns about North Korea acquiring Russian missile technology in exchange for dispatching troops to support Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Shin Wonsik, the national security adviser to former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, stated last year that evidence indicated Moscow provided missiles and other equipment to bolster Pyongyang’s air defense network. It remains unclear whether the latest missiles fired by North Korea involve Russian technology.
North Korea is one of the world’s most repressive totalitarian regimes, with Kim and his family ruling the state for decades. The division between South and North Korea dates back to the end of the Korean War in 1953. They never signed a peace treaty, so they remain technically at war, although it has been many years since either side launched an attack on the other.