North Korean leader directly supervises missile launch to destroy target at sea

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced today that the country on May 4 conducted a "strike drill" on a target in the Sea of ​​Japan (South Korea calls it the East Sea), under the direct supervision of leader Kim Jong-un.

The purpose of the drill was for military units to test the “operational capability and accuracy” of large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons. This information from KCNA confirmed that the weapon in North Korea’s latest test was not a long-range ballistic missile, which is considered a threat to the US.

Leader Kim Jong-un also inspected the "combat capabilities of weapons and equipment" and urged soldiers to bear in mind "the fact that genuine peace and security are guaranteed only by strength." He stressed the need to "increase combat capability to defend North Korea's sovereignty and economic self-reliance" against threats and invasion.

The information was released a day after the South Korean military announced yesterday morning that it had detected North Korea test-firing short-range missiles from a test site in the eastern city of Wonsan toward the Sea of ​​Japan. The missiles had a range of 70-200 km.

Observers said the test showed North Korea was increasingly impatient with the US in denuclearization negotiations, after the summit between Kim Jong-un and US President Trump in late February failed to produce any agreement.

North Korea has stopped testing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons since 2017, which President Trump has repeatedly touted as a major achievement in his shift in approach to Kim Jong-un. Trump expressed confidence on May 4 that Kim Jong-un would not break his promises, saying the US and North Korea would reach an agreement because Kim Jong-un recognized North Korea's economic potential.

Talks between the two sides have stalled since the Hanoi summit. While North Korea has demanded the US lift sanctions in exchange for dismantling its Yongbyon nuclear complex, Washington wants Pyongyang to end its weapons program completely, verifiably and irreversibly.