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North Korea Conducts Intermediate-Range Missile Drill, Kim Jong Un Oversees Test
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CNBC TV18•04-10-2026, 08:56
North Korea Conducts Intermediate-Range Missile Drill, Kim Jong Un Oversees Test
- •North Korea launched an intermediate-range strategic missile, overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, hitting a target 1,000 km off its east coast.
- •The drill aimed to train troops operating a hypersonic strategic weapon system and assess its reliability, efficiency, and mobility.
- •This test is the latest in a series of North Korean weapons tests this year, amid escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula.
- •Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's sister, stated that South Korea and Japan failed to track the missile's "wave-like trajectory mode."
- •Kim Jong Un emphasized the need to continue developing strategic offensive weapons and a nuclear war deterrent for national security.
Key Questions Answered
The missile drill was intended to train troops operating a hypersonic strategic weapon system and to assess the reliability, efficiency, and mobility of the country's war deterrent.
Kim Yo Jong criticized South Korea and Japan for failing to track the weapon's flight, stating that a special wave-like trajectory mode exposed limitations in their tracking capabilities.
Tensions escalated after a landmine blast in the Demilitarized Zone seriously wounded South Korean soldiers, leading Seoul to blame North Korea and demand an apology, which Pyongyang rejected.
