North Korea test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles on Wednesday in the sea off the country's east coast. Senior military officers observed the tests, which state media reported on Thursday. Pyongyang stated that the launches posed no threat to neighboring countries and were intended to showcase its war deterrent capabilities in the region.
Photographs released by state media showed one missile blasting vertically out of the sea trailed by a thick plume of smoke, while another projectile appeared to erupt from the water at a 45-degree angle. These launches add to a series of recent weapons tests as Pyongyang has ramped up its activity in recent weeks.
The tests occur amid heightened tensions with South Korea following a September 21 landmine explosion in the Demilitarised Zone that injured three South Korean soldiers. The displays of military muscle also follow fresh overtures from Donald Trump for a meeting with Kim Jong Un.