PYONGYANG, Jan 26 (NNN-KCNA) – The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted a sea-to-surface strategic cruise missile test yesterday, under the supervision of its top leader, to beef up its defence capabilities, amid the latest military provocations by the United States and South Korea, it was reported this morning.
The test fire saw strategic cruise missiles precisely hitting pre-set targets, after travelling the 1,500 km-long elliptical and eight-shaped flight orbits for 7,507 to 7,511 seconds, with no negative impact on the security of the neighbouring countries, said the report.
The latest military move, the report said, is part of plans for building the country’s defence capabilities, to raise the effectiveness of strategic control against potential enemies in conformity with the changing regional safety circumstances.
The country “will always make strenuous efforts in a responsible manner, to perform its important mission and duty for defending sustainable and lasting peace and stability, on the basis of more powerfully developed military muscle in the future,” Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, who oversaw the weapons test yesterday, was quoted as saying.
In a statement today, the DPRK Foreign Ministry condemned the United States and South Korea, for their latest military provocations and reaffirmed its hard-line stance towards the United States.
Lashing out at the United States and South Korea for their joint air drill and firing drill earlier this month, in addition to a trilateral air drill involving strategic bombers among the United States, South Korea and Japan, the ministry said, the military moves “serious provocations” that “added a danger variable to the unstable security environment on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.”
“The DPRK Foreign Ministry is closely watching the military provocations of the U.S. and the ROK, escalating tension on the Korean Peninsula and seriously warns them that such moves will entail a reflective counteraction,” it said, using the acronym of the official name of South Korea, the Republic of Korea.
The DPRK will “counter the U.S. with the toughest counteraction,” as long as it refuses (to recognise) the DPRK’s sovereignty and security interests, said the statement.
The DPRK will not permit the imbalance of strength imposed by the military nexus between the U.S. and the ROK, and will take the toughest counteraction to defend its sovereign rights and security interests, and ensure peace and stability in the region, it said.– NNN-KCNA
