North Korea tests new missile launch system — report
May 27, 2026
What you need to know about North Korea's missile test
- North Korea says it has conducted trials of advanced missile systems
- Leader Kim Jong Un has highlighted the increased destructive capability of new warheads
- The eighth missile test this year adds to rising regional tensions
North Korea said Wednesday it had tested a new multi-purpose missile launching system and a multiple tactical cruise missile weapon system, highlighting Pyongyang's efforts to steadily upgrade its tactical and conventional arsenal.
The tests were overseen by the reclusive nation's leader Kim Jong Un, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
They assessed the power of a "special mission warhead" on tactical ballistic missiles, the reliability of long-range multiple-launch artillery rockets the accuracy of AI-guided tactical cruise missiles, KCNA added.
South Korea's military previously reported the tests, saying on Tuesday that the North had fired several projectiles, including a ballistic missile, off its west coast.
Seoul said the missiles flew about 80 kilometers (50 miles).
What did Kim say about the tests?
Kim noted that the "major weapon systems are a clear signal of upgrading of our military force and an event of showing great technical progress," KCNA quoted him as saying.
"It is essential condition for our army's operations to have such destructive power as enough to make any encountering force impossible to survive theoretically, apart from fortune," he added, according to the report.
The cruise missiles will be deployed near the border with South Korea, Kim said.
Pyongyang has declared Seoul its "primary foe" and abandoned the policy of eventual unification of the two Koreas.
The latest launches were North Korea's first in 37 days and its eighth test this year.
The country has been subject to various international sanctions banning its nuclear weapons development and use of ballistic missile technology,
But Pyongyang has repeatedly flouted the restrictions.
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Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah