Wall Street Journal – North Korea test-fired a new type of tactical guided weapon at different targets, marking “an event of very weighty significance,” the country’s state media reported, as the Kim regime signals a firmer stance toward the U.S. following the breakdown of denuclearization talks.
Leader Kim Jong Un supervised and guided the tactical weapon’s performance from an observation post on Wednesday, deeming that its flight and warhead load “were perfectly verified,” the North’s state media said early Thursday. Pyongyang didn’t provide further details of the weapon’s nature.
The test is the first of a tactical weapon since November 2018, according to Pyongyang state media. The regime hasn’t launched a missile since November 2017—a fact that the Trump administration has pointed to as a sign that its diplomacy with the isolated regime has been successful.
The Pentagon declined to comment, while an official at the White House said it was aware of the report but had no further comment. A separate U.S. official said the test weapon didn’t appear to be a ballistic missile. Missile experts say that suggests the tested weapon is of short-range capability.
Since Mr. Kim rose to power in late 2011, North Korea has launched more than 80 missiles and conducted four nuclear tests, according to Defense Priorities, a Washington-based think tank.
