North Korea test-fired sea-to-surface cruise missiles off its western coast Tuesday, state media reported, just one day before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in South Korea.
According to North Korea’s official KCNA news agency, the missiles were launched vertically from the Yellow Sea and remained airborne for over two hours.
The test was overseen by top military official Pak Jong Chon, who stated that “important successes” were being achieved in the development of the North’s “nuclear forces” as a war deterrent.
Notably absent from the launch was North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who typically supervises major missile tests, noted an AFP report. KCNA also did not mention Kim in its coverage of last week’s hypersonic missile launch.
President Trump has expressed interest in meeting Kim during his visit to the Korean peninsula, saying he would “love to meet” the North Korean leader.
During Trump’s first presidency from 2017 to 2021, he met Kim three times - in Singapore, Hanoi, and at the Korean border. Despite the historic meetings, their diplomacy yielded no tangible results.
So far, North Korea has not issued a public response to Trump’s invitation.
North Korea upped its rhetoric in 2024 and staged dozens of launches of missiles. In early November, North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the East Sea, just days after it announced it had tested an intercontinental ballistic missile, prompting condemnation from the South, the United States and Japan.
Since the conclusion of Trump’s first term, Kim has maintained a confrontational stance against the United States and South Korea.
Last month, Kim stated that he has “good memories” of Trump, but also declared that his nation will "never lay down our nuclear weapons".