North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of long-range strategic cruise missiles on Sunday, in what state media described as a test confirming the country’s nuclear deterrent and readiness to respond to security threats.
The missiles flew along a trajectory over waters west of the Korean Peninsula before striking their target, the state news agency KCNA reported on Monday.
Kim expressed “great satisfaction” with the launch, calling regular checks of the country’s nuclear deterrent a “responsible exercise” amid what he described as ongoing security challenges facing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Kim said North Korea would continue devoting all its efforts to the “unlimited” development of its nuclear combat force, KCNA said.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said its military detected the launch of multiple cruise missiles at around 8 a.m. on Sunday from the Sunan area near Pyongyang.
South Korean defence officials said a series of recent North Korean military activities, including reported work on a nuclear-powered submarine, were undermining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The missile launch follows reports last week that Kim observed the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine alongside his daughter and oversaw the test-firing of long-range surface-to-air missiles.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that additional missile tests could take place around the New Year, though South Korea’s military declined to comment.
Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said the latest launch was likely aimed at testing upgrades to cruise missiles capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads.
The missile test comes amid a period of heightened activity by Kim ahead of a ruling Workers’ Party congress scheduled for early 2026. In recent weeks, Kim has attended a series of military inspections as well as the opening of industrial and infrastructure projects, including a paper mill inaugurated on Sunday.
North Korea is expected to convene the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in early 2026, as it seeks to complete its current five-year development plan.
In a dramatic shake-up at the top of the U.S. Justice Department, President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her post, a Wh...
Britain said on Thursday that around 40 countries are exploring ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route effectively blocked...
American President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to pull the United States out of NATO after European nations refused to join a U.S.-led nav...
Former Kyrgyz MP Shairbek Tashiev has been detained in a corruption investigation linked to state oil firm Kyrgyzneftegaz, as the case expands to i...
France has unveiled a delayed wave of renewable energy tenders to boost energy independence and strengthen domestic and European industry....
Britain will explore ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by hosting talks on Thursday (2 April) with 35 countries after President Donald Trump said securing the vital waterway was a problem for other nations to resolve.
“He is not… the owner!” U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon wrote, temporarily halting construction of President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom, underscoring a cascade of legal, regulatory and public opposition that has engulfed the controversial expansion.
Pakistan is holding talks with Afghanistan to end the worst conflict between the South Asian neighbours since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged Americans to look beyond the illusions of war propaganda and to watch out for Israel’s "manufactured threat," in an open letter to the United States.
There are fears of an oil spill after a drone strike hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai on Tuesday, while U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran reportedly killed at least two people. A loud explosion was heard in Beirut in southern Lebanon early Wednesday, as oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel.
Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile missile attacks, tanker incidents and rising casualties across Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf heighten risks to regional stability and energy routes.
Russian-flagged tanker carrying approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil docked at Cuba's Matanzas oil terminal on Tuesday, shipping data confirmed, marking a vital and controversial delivery to an island paralysed by severe energy shortages and a suffocating U.S. blockade.
A Russian military An-26 aircraft has crashed in Crimea, killing all 30 people on board, Russia’s Defence Ministry has confirmed.
Explosions were heard in the Syrian capital Damascus as Israeli air defences intercepted Iranian missiles, Syrian state television reported on Tuesday.
In a dramatic shake-up at the top of the U.S. Justice Department, President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her post, a White House official confirmed on Thursday.
American President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to pull the United States out of NATO after European nations refused to join a U.S.-led naval mission to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.
France has unveiled a delayed wave of renewable energy tenders to boost energy independence and strengthen domestic and European industry.
China is emerging as one of the more stable economies amid the latest global oil shock, thanks to years of planning, diversified energy sources and a steady shift towards renewable power.
In a major policy reversal, the U.S. Treasury has removed Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, from its sanctions list, signalling a sharp shift in Washington’s approach to Caracas.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment