The test, conducted at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station on Tuesday, was supervised by the general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and chairman of the State Affairs Committee, Kim Jong Un.

According to the source, Kim, who is also the supreme commander of the People’s Army, stated that “the military strategic value of this weapon system is as important as the ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) from the security environment of our state and the operational demand of the People’s Army.

In November 2024, the DPRK conducted a similar test, with results that were described as “extremely successful.”

Kim has conducted several military trainings this month, amid growing risks of a confrontation with the United States and its allies in the region, which last Thursday concluded the 11-day Freedom Shield drills, one of the largest of its kind.

jg/jav/mem/asg