North Korea claims to have tested strategic cruise missiles again. Gunmen in southeastern Iran shoot nine Pakistanis

North Korea says it has tested a military guided missile for the second time in just a few days to expand the country’s nuclear power. Two “newly developed submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles” of the “Pulhwasal-3-31” type were shot down on Sunday under instructions from ruler Kim Jong Un, state-controlled media reported on Monday. Largely isolated North Korea is subject to international sanctions over its nuclear weapons and missile programs.

Kim’s course to broaden nuclear deterrence is being implemented as planned, the reports said. The Navy’s nuclear armament is also accelerating. The cruise missiles hit their target on an island in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. How far they flew remained unclear.

The South Korean military registered the launch of the cruise missile on Sunday. However, it was unclear whether they were fired from a submarine or perhaps from a platform in the water. North Korea said it tested the same weapon for the first time last Wednesday.

In addition to nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, North Korea has also repeatedly tested cruise missiles in recent years, which it described as strategic. This indicates the intention to equip them with nuclear weapons. Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missile tests are not directly affected by the UN ban orders against the country. Unlike ballistic missiles, guided missiles have their own permanent propulsion.

North Korea, which mainly regards the US and South Korea as hostile states, has been developing nuclear weapons and their means of delivery for years. As state media reported on Monday, Kim also learned on Sunday about details of the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine. (sda/dpa)