SEOUL
North Korea has tested a “newly-designed advanced air-defense missile system,” state media reported Thursday.
Gen. Kim Jong Sik, member of Central Military Commission, on Wednesday guided the test-fire which aimed at confirming technical specifications of the air-defense missile system, KCNA reported.
The confirmation came a day after South Korea said Pyongyang had launched multiple missiles.
“The test-fire proved the technical specifications and reliability of the new material and intelligent multiple guided mode of the projectile, target identification and tracking capability of the air-defense missile system and its detection information processing device,” KCNA said.
In a separate test on the same day, a North Korean military long-range strategic cruise missile unit in the eastern area “gave a fire strike drill demonstration” on Wednesday, the report added without specifying the region.
“The sub-unit involved in the drill perfectly performed its mission to strike a virtual airport target with a long-range strategic cruise missile,” it added.
This was fourth the time in a week, after Pyongyang fired of a 600-millimeter “ultra-precision” multiple rocket launcher last week Thursday.
It also tested a cluster bomb mounted on tactical ballistic missiles Saturday and a “dispersal warhead” for a strategic cruise missile on Monday.
The back-to-back missile tests by Pyongyang comes amid joint drills held by South Korea and the US, as well as tensions on Korean Peninsula between Seoul and Pyongyang.
Seoul has blamed Pyongyang for an explosion inside Demilitarized Zone on Sept. 21, which wounded three South Korean soldiers.
North Korea has rejected accusations and has not responded to Seoul’s offer of restoring military communication to ease tensions.
