North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Saturday that leader Kim Jong Un again oversaw the test-firing of a "newly-developed large-caliber multiple launch guided rocket system" the previous day.
The weapon is believed to be the same as the one launched on Wednesday. South Korea said the North fired two unidentified short-range projectiles into the sea off its eastern coast on Friday.
The latest test-firing was aimed at examining "the altitude control flight performance, track control capability and rate of hits of the large-caliber multiple launch guided ordnance rocket," KCNA said.
(Photo courtesy of Korea Media)
Related coverage:
N. Korea aiming to boost military capacity ahead of U.S. talks
N. Korea silent at ASEAN security forum amid stalled nuclear talks
North Korea fires 2 short-range projectiles into Sea of Japan
The projectiles launched Friday from South Hamgyong Province at 2:59 a.m. and 3:23 a.m., respectively, flew about 220 kilometers and reached an altitude of about 25 km and a speed of Mach 6.9, Seoul said.
North Korea has conducted several test-firings of weapons in the space of just over a week while at the same time urging the United States and the South to halt a joint military drill scheduled for later this month.
Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed at a June 30 meeting in the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjeom that the two countries would restart stalled denuclearization talks within weeks, but they have yet to take place.
