Kim Jong-un orders intermediate-range missile test, urges stronger offensive deterrent

North Korea conducted a firing drill on Saturday morning, launching an intermediate-range hypersonic missile toward the northeast, which traveled roughly 1,000 kilometers before hitting its target in the East Sea. The exercise was described as training for missile troops operating the new strategic system. Kim Jong-un emphasized that advancing the country's strategic weapons is indispensable for safeguarding national security and stability, and he called for relentless work to make the enemy recognize their reliability and fatality.

He presented the launch as a means of accelerating the development of a more rapid nuclear war deterrent. Within 12 hours, Kim Yo-jong revealed the test, accusing South Korean and Japanese military authorities of failing to track the missile due to limited capabilities.