North Korea test-fired two cruise missiles that hit a target 1,800 kilometers away on Tuesday, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Friday, raising concern over the nuclear-armed nation's technological advances in the development of hard-to-intercept weapons.
KCNA also said Pyongyang launched two tactical guided missiles on Thursday. The week's launches, the latest in a series of missile test-firings since the start of the year, come at a time when North Korea is believed to be eager to bring the United States back to the negotiating table to discuss sanctions relief amid an economic slump.
The two cruise missiles flew for more than two and a half hours before hitting a target island in the Sea of Japan, the news agency said. If they had traveled as far as North Korea claims, they would be capable of reaching Japan, a close security ally of the United States.
"The practical combat performance of the long-range cruise missile system would hold a reliable share in boosting the war deterrence of the country," KCNA said, adding the two tactical guided missiles fired on Thursday also precisely hit a target island.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has often been present for missile tests, was not reported to have witnessed the test-firings on Tuesday and Thursday.
Unlike the firing of ballistic missiles, cruise missile launches do not fall under U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban North Korea from testing ballistic missile technology.
A defense expert said it would be difficult to detect a cruise missile approaching at low altitude if it is fired without warning. Japan's missile defense system is designed to intercept ballistic missiles and considered incapable of stopping a cruise missile.
If North Korea attempted to load a nuclear warhead on a cruise missile, Japan would face a serious security challenge. Tokyo is keeping a close eye on how Pyongyang utilizes its updated missile technology.
The latest missile tests come as North Korea's economy has suffered from a sharp drop in trade with China due to the coronavirus pandemic, which prompted Pyongyang to seal its borders in early 2020.
By developing weapons and destabilizing security in the region, North Korea may be trying to nudge the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to resume bilateral negotiations over denuclearization and sanctions relief, observers said.
Thursday's firing was the sixth time North Korea has launched projectiles this year. The South Korean military said the two projectiles fired by Pyongyang were presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles.
Also Friday, the Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea, ran photos of the four missiles launched this week.
KCNA, meanwhile, reported Kim inspected a munitions factory producing a major weapon system, without saying when the inspection took place.
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