Voice of America
18 Apr 2019, 05:37 GMT+10
SEOUL - North Korea has tested a new tactical guided weapon, the latest display of Pyongyang's military capabilities, state media reported Thursday.
Kim Jong Un supervised and guided the test, calling it an operation of very weighty significance, the official Korean Central News Agency said.
The report did elaborate on the type of weapon, but the phrase tactical suggests it is not a long-range ballistic missile. U.S. officials have not commented on the test.
'The design indexes of the tactical guided weapon, whose advantages are appreciated for the peculiar mode of guiding flight and the load of a powerful warhead, were perfectly verified at the test-fire conducted in various modes of firing at different targets,' KCNA said.
North Korea has not carried out a major provocation such as a nuclear or long-range missile test for well over a year, since Kim began talks with the United States and South Korea.
Instead, the North has carried out smaller provocations. In November, Kim oversaw the test of what KCNA also referred to as a newly developed high-tech tactical weapon. U.S. officials later played down the significance of that test.
Stalled talks
Nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea have been stalled since a February meeting in Hanoi between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump ended in no deal.
Trump wants Kim to completely abandon his nuclear weapons program in exchange for sanctions relief. Kim has only offered limited steps toward denuclearization.
Last week, Kim said he was open to another summit with Trump, but warned he would only give the U.S. until the end of the year to change its approach to the negotiations.
A North Korean official said last month that Kim is considering resuming missile tests and pulling out of the talks with the United States.
Increase in provocations?
Meanwhile, commercial satellite photos from last week showed increased activity at North Koreas main nuclear site, according to a U.S. research organization.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies noted the presence of five specialized railcars at the Yongbyon nuclear complex.
In the past, these specialized railcars appear to have been associated with the movement of radioactive material or reprocessing campaigns, the report said.
Also Wednesday, Kim carried out a public inspection of a military unit for the first time in several months, reviewing a flight exercise of the Korean Peoples Army.
Kim is expected to meet next week with Russian President Vladimir Putin. With U.S. negotiations stalled, Kim is likely to push Putin to provide economic aid and sanctions relief.
Get a daily dose of North Korea Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to North Korea Times.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said this week it will start using artificial intelligence (AI) in all...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Citigroup must defend itself against a revived lawsuit accusing the bank of facilitating and concealing a...
Gaza Faces Imminent Famine as Aid Blockade Enters 70th Day, UN Warns The entire population of Gaza is now at critical risk of famine,...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America,...
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania: People in Pennsylvania who are 21 or older could soon be allowed to legally buy and use marijuana. The state...
AUSTIN, Texas: Six people in a small Texas county have been charged with serious crimes as part of a growing election investigation...
FRANKFURT, Germany: Foreign workers have emerged as a critical force behind the euro zone's economic growth since the pandemic, offsetting...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks surged on Monday following news that the Trump administration had agreed to a 90-day reduction of...
SYDNEY, NSW, Australia - Stocks in Asia and the pacific have closed significantly higher following ceasefires in India-Pakistan hostilities,...
TOKYO, Japan: Toyota Motor Corp is bracing for a 21 percent decline in full-year profit, as the impact of President Donald Trump's...
HELSINKI, Finland: In response to rising geopolitical risks, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Estonia are preparing to roll out...
CHICAGO, Illinois: All U.S. airlines are feeling the impact of falling travel demand caused by President Trump's trade war. But low-cost...