Seoul: North Korea test-fired sea-to-surface cruise missiles off the western part of the Korean Peninsula on Tuesday, as reported by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday. This event coincides with U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders scheduled to attend regional summits in South Korea.
According to Thai News Agency, President Trump is scheduled to arrive in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Wednesday to join other world and business leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and related meetings. He is also expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week.
In response to inquiries about the missile test, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday that the United States would eventually engage with North Korea and plans to meet with the North in the near future.
KCNA reported that the missile was fired vertically and flew for about 7,800 seconds, or approximately two hours and 10 minutes, along a pre-planned path to reach its target. The agency noted that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not participate in the test.
Park Jong-chon, vice chairman of North Korea’s Central Military Commission, commented on the missile launch, stating that significant progress is being made in developing the North’s “nuclear forces” according to the ruling party’s plan.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the detection of a ballistic missile in the sea west of North Korea around 3:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday and are currently analyzing the details of the test.