(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) TOKYO, Oct 29 (KUNA) -- North Korea said Wednesday it test-fired sea-to-surface strategic cruise missiles in the Yellow Sea the previous day. This comes ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to South Korea, Yonhap News Agency reported.
North Korea's missile launch came as Trump expressed his wish to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to the South from October 29-30 on occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, the report said.
The cruise missiles, improved for ship-based launches, were fired vertically and flew for over 7,800 seconds along a preset route above the Yellow Sea to destroy the target, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, without disclosing other details, including flight distance.
The North's leader did not oversee the test firing. Pak Jong-chon, vice chairperson of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, said the North has made important success in putting the country's nuclear forces on a "practical basis."
"It is an extension of exercising the war deterrent and an act of exercising it in a more responsible manner to continuously test the reliability of different strategic offensive means and impress their abilities upon the enemies," Pak said while overseeing the test with key defense officials. He called for the need to steadily update North Korea's combat capability.
Trump, who is making a state visit to South Korea, is scheduled to arrive from Japan and hold talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung later in the day, according to the report. (end)
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