North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after the test firing of an unspecified missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (File photo: KCNA)
North Korea holds three days of weapons testing: KCNA
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Over a three-day window (Monday–Wednesday), Pyongyang tested the Hwasong-11 Ka tactical ballistic missile equipped with a cluster-bomb warhead.
- State media claimed the weapon can "reduce to ashes" any target area spanning up to 7 hectares (17 acres) with "highest-density power."
North Korea conducted tests on multiple weapons systems over three days this week, including ballistic missiles and cluster bombs, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday.
The agency said the tests took place Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday as part of ongoing efforts to develop and enhance weapons systems.
South Korea’s military had reported that North Korea launched short-range ballistic missiles in two Wednesday launches and an “unspecified projectile” the day before.
According to the Korean Central News Agency, the tests “confirmed that the tactical Hwasong-11 Ka ballistic missile, equipped with a cluster bomb warhead, can turn any target covering 6.5–7 hectares into ashes.”
Cluster munitions release dozens or even hundreds of smaller submunitions over a wide area, making them controversial due to long-term risks to civilians.
The agency also reported testing an “electromagnetic weapons system” and “dummy carbon-fiber bombs,” which it described as “special assets of a strategic nature.”
There were no reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the launches, and official media have not released any images of the tests so far.
