North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test firing of two new air defense missiles, state media reported on Sunday, after Pyongyang accused Seoul of stoking tensions along the border.
The test firing, which took place on Saturday, showed that the two “improved” missile systems had “superior combat capability,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
The KCNA report did not describe the new missiles in detail, saying only that their “operation and reaction mode are based on unique and special technology.”
It also did not specify where the test was conducted.
“The firing particularly proved that the technological features of the two types of missiles are very suitable for destroying various air targets,” KCNA said.
Photos released by KCNA showed air defense missiles rising into the sky and the flash of an incoming missile being intercepted.
Kim was photographed listening to a briefing from a military official, binoculars next to him on a table.
The North Korean leader separately announced an “important task” for the defense science sector to complete before a key party meeting, the report added.
South Korea’s military said on Saturday that it had fired warning shots at several North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the militarized border separating the two countries earlier in the week.
The UN command estimated the number of North Korean soldiers who crossed the border on Tuesday at 30, Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday.
State media in Pyongyang quoted Colonel General Ko Jong Chol as saying the incident was a “premeditated and deliberate provocation.”
“This is a very serious prelude that would inevitably bring the situation in the southern border area, where a huge number of forces are facing each other, to an uncontrolled stage,” Ko said.
Analysts say Pyongyang appears to be accelerating the development of anti-drone missiles, citing a KCNA report that specifically mentioned “drones and cruise missiles.”
“The North is strengthening anti-drone missiles against low-flying drones and cruise missiles,” said Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
The development of such anti-drone missiles suggests that “Pyongyang has recognized the need to improve its capabilities… based on lessons learned” from fighting Russia’s war in Ukraine, he added.
South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have said the North sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia in 2024, primarily to the Kursk region, along with artillery shells, missiles and long-range rocket systems.
About 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands wounded fighting for Russia, Seoul says.
New South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung has sought warmer ties with the nuclear-armed North and pledged to build “military trust,” but Pyongyang has said it has no interest in improving relations with Seoul.
