North Korea says it conducted intermediate-range strategic missile drill

SEOUL - North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile in a test overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, state media KCNA reported on Oct 4.KCNA said the missile was launched on Oct 3 from eastern North Korea and hit a target 1,000km in the sea off the country's east coast.It said the drill was intended to train troops operating a hypersonic strategic weapon system and to assess the reliability, efficiency and mobility of the country's war deterrent.The launch was the latest in a series of North Korean weapons tests in 2026 and came as tensions on the Korean peninsula escalated over a landmine blast in the Demilitarised Zone in September that wounded South Korean soldiers.The KCNA report provided additional details about the missile launch disclosed on Oct 3 by Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un and a senior official in the ruling Workers' Party.Kim Yo Jong said South Korea and Japan had failed to track the weapon's flight, saying a special "wave-like trajectory mode" had exposed limitations in their tracking capabilities.South Korea's military said on Oct 3 it had detected a ballistic missile launch by North Korea and assessed the missile had flown more than 700km towards the sea off its eastern coast.According to KCNA on Oct 4, Kim Jong Un said Pyongyang must continue efforts to make its enemies recognise the "reliability and fatality" of its strategic offensive weapons and reaffirmed that developing its nuclear war deterrent remained essential for national security.The test came amid heightened tensions after Kim Yo Jong issued a sharply worded statement on Oct 2 rejecting Seoul's demand for an apology over the landmine blast in the Demilitarised Zone that seriously wounded South Korean soldiers.South Korea has blamed North Korea for planting the mines and called for an apology. Kim Yo Jong called Seoul's accusation "groundless" and said North Korea had not deliberately laid mines targeting South Korean troops.North Korea has carried out more than 10 missile tests this year. REUTERS