North Korea test-fires new cruise missiles

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – North Korea on Monday said leader Kim Jong Un supervised test-firings of the newly-developed submarine-launched strategic cruise missile Pulhwasal-3-31 over the weekend, state media reported.

"The cruise missiles flew in the sky above the East Sea for 7,421 seconds and 7,445 seconds to hit the island target," according to KCNA news agency.

The test-fire had no impact on the security of a neighboring country and has nothing to do with the regional situation, the report said, adding that Kim expressed "great satisfaction" over the result of the test.

Kim said, "the nuclear weaponization of the navy is an urgent task of the times and a core requirement for building the state nuclear strategic force.”

The North Korean leader also discussed issues related to the building of a nuclear-powered submarine and other new-type warships and “indicated the immediate tasks to be carried out by relevant sectors and state measures to be taken, and made an important conclusion on the ways to implement them.”

The report came a day after South Korea’s military said it detected North Korea firing multiple cruise missiles over waters near the eastern port of Sinpo.