North Korea tested a new air-defense missile system and trained a long-range strategic cruise missile unit, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on Thursday. Both took place on Wednesday.
The air-defense launch was carried out by the Missile Administration, which said the test demonstrated the system's guidance method, target identification and other technical characteristics, along with its reliability. The cruise missile drill was held by a unit in eastern North Korea and targeted a simulated airfield, according to the report. Images released with it showed several aircraft-shaped targets being struck at the same time.
South Korea's military said on Wednesday that the North had fired several missiles toward the Sea of Japan from near Sondok, in the country's east.
A run of tests since late September
Since late September, North Korea has repeatedly announced tests by the Missile Administration. They include a submarine-launched cruise missile and a cluster warhead designed to scatter submunitions over a wide area.
Each launch adds to the pressure on Japan's defense budget and posture, which the government has been expanding in response to North Korean missile development. The Wednesday tests came a day after the South Korean military detected the launches.