North Korea confirms recent weapons tests

North Korea has moved ahead with its weapons tests as several tests have already been done at the start of the year. Pyongyang has recently confirmed that it tested two more of its weapons this week.

According to state media KCNA, North Korea carried out tests of a long-range cruise missile and a warhead of a tactical guided missile. The tests come as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a weapons factory that is producing what is described as a “major weapons system.”

The updated long-range cruise missile system was tested Tuesday. The test for the warhead of the tactical guided missile was carried out Thursday. While Kim did not attend the tests, he praised the progress in “producing major weapons” to implement the ruling political party’s decisions that were made at the meeting in December, according to another outlet.

“The factory holds a very important position and duty in modernizing the country’s armed forces and realizing the national defense development strategy,” said the North Korean leader. Kim also called for an “all-out drive” to produce “powerful, cutting-edge arms,” and the factory’s employees praised his devotion to combating the challenges they claim are posed by the US and other nations.

South Korea initially reported that Pyongyang fired what seemed to be two short-range ballistic missiles to the East Sea, which marks the sixth launch this month.

North Korea has made six weapon launches this month, leading to widespread backlash from the international community and the United States to push for new sanctions to impose on Pyongyang.

A few weeks ago, Pyongyang confirmed that it test-launched ballistic missiles from a train in what is believed to be retaliatory action against the sanctions imposed by the US. KCNA said that the test launch aimed to check and assess “the proficiency in the action procedures” of the missiles, noting that the rockets hit a set target in the East Sea.

The test launch came hours after North Korea’s foreign ministry issued a statement criticizing the US for imposing sanctions over the recent test launches. The ministry warned that North Korea will take stronger action should the US continue its “confrontational stance.”