North Korea says it test-fired long-range cruise missiles

North Korea said on Monday it test-fired long-range strategic cruise missiles into the sea to assess its nuclear deterrence capabilities, days after it revealed apparent progress in building its first nuclear-powered submarine.

The missile launches, carried out on Sunday, were the latest in a series of weapons tests ahead of the ruling Workers’ Party congress scheduled for early next year, the first such meeting in five years. The congress is expected to draw close international attention over whether leader Kim Jong Un sets new directions in relations with the United States.

The Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim expressed “great satisfaction” with the launches, which took place off the country’s west coast. It said Kim described the test as a responsible exercise of North Korea’s right to self-defense and a demonstration of war deterrence against external security threats.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected multiple cruise missile launches from the North’s capital region on Sunday morning and stressed that Seoul remains ready to counter any potential provocation through its alliance with the United States.

While United Nations Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from conducting ballistic missile launches, cruise missile tests are not prohibited. However, analysts say such weapons still pose serious threats because they can fly at low altitudes and maneuver to evade radar, making them difficult to intercept. North Korea is believed to view cruise missiles as potential tools to strike US warships and aircraft carriers in a conflict.

The launches followed recent tests of new anti-air missiles and the release of images showing a largely completed hull of a nuclear-powered submarine, which Pyongyang has suggested could be armed with nuclear weapons.

A nuclear-powered submarine is among several advanced weapons systems Kim has pledged to develop, citing what he calls US-led security threats. Some experts say North Korea’s closer ties with Russia, including providing troops and equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, may have helped it obtain critical technologies.

North Korea has intensified weapons testing since nuclear talks with then US President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019. However, Kim signaled in September that he could return to dialogue if Washington abandons what he called its fixation on denuclearization, with analysts suggesting Pyongyang sees its expanded nuclear arsenal as leverage in any future negotiations.