DPRK says top leader guides test-firing of ballistic rockets

PYONGYANG - Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un has guided the test-firing of ballistic rockets by the strategic force, the official news agency KCNA reported Tuesday.

Taking part in the test-firing drill were Hwasong artillery units of the strategic force of the Korean People's Army, who are tasked with hitting the US military bases in the Pacific, the state media said.

The drill was aimed to reexamine the flight security and guided accuracy of the improved ballistic rockets deployed for action and to assess and inspect capabilities of the units for action, it noted.

The state media described the test-firing as "perfect" and said the drill has proved that the strategic force of the military is "capable of mounting a preemptive attack on the enemies any time and from any place."

Kim, who was satisfied with the test result, instructed to make more achievements in bolstering nuclear force and to bring the military deterrent on a higher lever through development of nuclear arsenal.

The state media did not give the date and place of the test-firing drill.

South Korean defense ministry has said that the DPRK on Monday fired three ballistic missiles into its eastern waters at about 12:14 pm Seoul time near Hwangju county in North Hwanghae province.

The missile launches came less than two weeks after Pyongyang test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine off its east coastal town of Sinpo, where a submarine base is known to be located, on Aug 24.

The submarine-launched ballistic missile flew some 500 km eastward, falling inside Japan's air defense identification zone for the first time.

The submarine-launched ballistic missile test was conducted in an apparent show of force toward the annual US-South Korea military drills, codenamed Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG), which had run from Aug 22 to Sept 2.