North Korea announced on Sunday that it had tested a cruise missile system, marking its third weapons display this year, and vowed “the toughest” response to what it described as escalating US-South Korea military drills targeting the country. 

The announcement suggests North Korea is likely to continue its weapons tests and confrontational stance against the United States, even as President Donald Trump expressed plans to reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim oversaw the test of sea-to-surface strategic cruise guided weapons on Saturday. The term “strategic” typically implies nuclear capability. 

According to KCNA, the missiles successfully struck their targets after travelling 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) in elliptical and figure-eight flight patterns, though this claim could not be independently verified.

Kim was quoted as stating that North Korea’s war deterrence capabilities “are being perfected more thoroughly,” pledging to defend stability “on the basis of more powerfully developed military muscle.”

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that North Korea had launched several cruise missiles towards its western waters from an inland area around 4 p.m. on Saturday. 

They assured that South Korea remains prepared to “overwhelmingly” counter any provocations in coordination with its US military alliance.

In a separate statement issued Sunday, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry criticised the US for conducting “serious military provocations” alongside South Korea during recent joint exercises. The ministry stated that North Korea would respond with “the toughest counteraction from A to Z” if the US continued to disregard the sovereignty and security of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), its official name.

The US and South Korea maintain that their military exercises are defensive, but North Korea perceives them as invasion rehearsals. The joint drills have expanded in recent years in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear programme.

President Trump’s second term has raised prospects of renewed diplomacy with North Korea, as he held three summits with Kim Jong Un during his first term. However, those talks collapsed in 2019 due to disagreements over US-led sanctions.

During a Fox News interview on Thursday, Trump referred to Kim as “a smart guy” and indicated he would reach out to him again. On Monday, during a news conference at the Oval Office, Trump described North Korea as “a nuclear power,” citing his personal rapport with Kim. This marked a notable departure from the stance of Washington, Seoul, and their allies, who have avoided recognising North Korea as a nuclear state due to its violations of UN Security Council resolutions.

Trump’s previous diplomacy with North Korea included surprising South Korea by suspending major joint military drills in 2018, calling them “very provocative” and costly.

Sunday’s cruise missile tests were North Korea’s first known weapons launches since Trump’s inauguration. The North has not yet responded to Trump’s overtures, but tensions remain high amid its continued weapons development and US-South Korea military cooperation.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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