North Korea says it tested air defense missile and staged cruise missile drill

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea test-fired a newly designed air defense missile system and staged a cruise missile strike drill Wednesday, state media reported Thursday. State news agency KCNA said the air defense test confirmed the technical specifications and reliability of the missile’s new materials and multiple guidance modes. It also confirmed the system’s ability to identify and track targets, the agency said. A subunit of North Korea’s long-range strategic cruise missile unit in the east also struck a virtual airport target in a drill Wednesday, KCNA said. The agency report confirmed a South Korean military statement Wednesday that Pyongyang had fired multiple missiles toward the sea from the Sondok area on the east coast. It was the fourth North Korean weapons launch in a month. A South Korean Defense Ministry official said Thursday that early detection data suggested the missiles could have been several different types. Images released by Pyongyang appeared to show the cruise missile carrying a cluster warhead, according to Shin Jong-woo, secretary general of the Korea Defense & Security Forum. He said the launch appeared intended to test how effectively the warhead could disperse a payload over a target area. Shin said the new air defense missile, first unveiled in November 2025, appears to have a guidance section resembling Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile.