Seoul:North Korea announced that it conducted a test-fire of a newly designed air defense missile system to evaluate its technical capabilities on Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Missile Administration carried out the test, which was supervised by Kim Jong-sik, a member of the Central Military Commission. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the test aimed to verify the technical specifications, reliability, and intelligent multiple guided mode of the projectile. It also assessed the target identification and tracking capability of the air defense missile system and its detection information processing device.
Additionally, on the same day, a firepower subunit of the long-range strategic cruise missile unit conducted a strike drill in the eastern area, utilizing a long-range strategic cruise missile against a virtual airport target. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff detected that North Korea launched multiple missiles toward the East Sea from the Sondok area in South Hamgyong Province early Wednesday. These missiles reportedly traveled less than 300 kilometers, with possibilities remaining that they involved a close-range ballistic missile.
The missile launches coincided with statements from Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, rejecting a U.S. investigation accusing North Korea of stealing over US$6 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance. The launch also occurred during the U.S. midterm elections, seen as a referendum on President Donald Trump's presidency.