North Korea said Friday it fired four cruise missiles into the Sea of Japan that flew 2,000 kilometers the previous day, according to state-run media, after the United States and South Korea conducted tabletop exercises against Pyongyang's nuclear threat.
The successful launch of the missiles "clearly demonstrated once again the war posture of the (North's) nuclear combat force bolstering up in every way its deadly nuclear counterattack capability against the hostile forces," the official Korean Central News Agency said.
The four "Hwasal-2" strategic cruise missiles fired from Kim Chaek city, North Hamgyong Province, at dawn Thursday precisely hit their target after traveling in 2,000-km-long elliptical and figure of eight-shaped flight orbits for more than 2 hours and 50 minutes, KCNA said. The reputed range would cover all of Japan.
The report said the drill reconfirmed the reliability of the weapon system while stressing the strategic cruise missile units "constitute one of major forces of the (North's) nuclear deterrent."
The Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea "expressed great satisfaction" over the results of the drill, KCNA said, without reporting whether leader Kim Jong Un was present at the exercise.
The latest missile launches followed the North's firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile last weekend and two ballistic missiles on Monday.
The United States and South Korea conducted a tabletop simulated exercise at the Defense Department near Washington on Wednesday.
Pyongyang had warned of more missile launches, with Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister and a close aide of Kim Jong Un, saying in a statement on Monday the country "will take corresponding counteraction" if U.S. actions are "judged to be any direct or indirect threat."
