North Korea has successfully test-launched a newly developed tactical guided weapon
(Picture: AP)North Korea has tested a new weapon that it says will boost its nuclear capabilities.
The pariah state test-fired a new type of tactical guided weapon on Saturday.
South Korea said it detected two projectiles that had been launched from the North’s east coast towards the sea.
The projectiles flew about 110km (70 miles) with an apogee of 25km and a maximum speed that indicates they were short-range missiles.
"The new-type tactical guided weapon system... is of great significance in drastically improving the firepower of the frontline long-range artillery units and enhancing the efficiency in the operation of tactical nukes," the North’s state-run KCNA media said.
It said Kim Jong Un "gave important instructions on further building up the defence capabilities and nuclear combat forces of the country."
KCNA also released a photo showing a beaming Kim clapping his hands with military officers.
The launch came one day before the United States and South Korea begin annual military drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal.
South Korea’s military said its nine-day springtime military drills with the United States will start on Monday.
It said the allies decided to hold computer-simulated command post exercises that don’t involve field training after reviewing factors such as the Covid pandemic and the allies’ combined defense readiness.
The exercises could further intensify animosities on the Korean Peninsula because North Korea has previously responded with its own weapons tests and fiery rhetoric.
North Korea has started this year with a slew of weapons tests, including its first flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the US homeland since 2017.
