CAUTION

North Korea Says Missile Test Was a ‘Solemn Warning’ to South Korean ‘Warmongers’

Thursday’s launch was believed to be the first test-fire of a new type of short-range ballistic missile.

North Korea said its latest missile test was a “solemn warning” to South Korean “warmongers” to stop importing weapons and conducting joint military drills. “We cannot but develop nonstop super-powerful weapon systems to remove the potential and direct threats to the security of our country that exist in the south,” North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was quoted as saying Friday by state news agency KCNA. Thursday’s launch is believed to be the first test-fire of a new type of short-range ballistic missile, according to an official at Seoul’s defense ministry. Both missiles reportedly flew about 375 miles further than previous missile tests. Reuters reports that Kim personally watched the test fire of both short-range ballistic missiles. A spokesman for the U.S.-South Korea Combined Forces Command said in a statement the launches were “not a threat directed at [South Korea] or the U.S., and have no impact on our defense posture.” Thursday’s launch was the first missile test since Kim and President Trump met last month at the Demilitarized Zone.