North Korea says it tested new warheads, technology and navigation in
latest launches
[May 27, 2026]
By KIM TONG-HYUNG
SEOUL,
South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Wednesday its latest launches
involved multiple weapons systems, including a nuclear-capable cruise
missile that leader Kim Jong Un plans to deploy with front-line units
facing South Korea, as he continues expanding his military capabilities.
The report by North Korean state media came a day after South Korea’s
military said it detected the North launching multiple projectiles,
including at least one close-range ballistic missile, toward its western
waters. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile flew about
80 kilometers (50 miles) but didn’t specify other types of weapons
involved. |
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim
Jong Un, center right, inspects the multiple weapons systems, at an
undisclosed location, North Korea, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Independent
journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this
image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this
image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean
language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is
the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News
Agency/Korea News Service via AP) |
|
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim
supervised Tuesday’s tests that featured ballistic missiles with
new warheads designed for battlefield nuclear use,
nuclear-capable cruise missiles guided by
artificial-intelligence technology, and 240-millimeter rocket
artillery equipped with “ultra-precision” navigation systems.
South Korea’s military did not immediately comment on the North
Korean claims.
KCNA said Kim expressed satisfaction with the tests,
particularly the performance of cruise missile systems intended
for deployment with front-line long-range artillery units near
the border with South Korea. He called for faster efforts to
modernize and strengthen his artillery forces so that “no one
can match," the agency said.
Kim has sped up efforts to modernize North Korea’s nuclear and
missile arsenal since his diplomacy with U.S. President Donald
Trump collapsed in 2019. He has also adopted a hard line toward
South Korea, which he declared as his country’s “most hostile
enemy” and moved to sever longstanding inter-Korean ties. During
a meeting with military commanders last week, Kim discussed
strengthening frontline units along the border in line with a
state goal of turning the frontier into “an impregnable
fortress,” state media said.
Kim’s foreign policy focus has increasingly shifted toward
Russia, which has received thousands of North Korean troops and
large shipments of conventional weapons to support its war in
Ukraine. He has also sought closer ties with China, North
Korea’s main ally and economic lifeline, while portraying
Pyongyang as part of a broader front against Washington.
Trump has repeatedly said he wants to revive diplomacy with Kim,
but Pyongyang has ignored those overtures and insisted
Washington abandon demands for North Korea’s nuclear disarmament
as a precondition for talks.
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