North Korea says it tested air-defence missile, staged cruise missile drill

North Korea test-fired a newly designed air-defence missile system and staged a cruise missile strike drill on Wednesday, state media KCNA reported on Thursday.

KCNA said the air-defence 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, KCNA said.

A sub-unit of North Korea’s long-range strategic cruise missile unit in the east also struck a virtual airport target in a drill on Wednesday, KCNA said.

The KCNA report confirmed a South Korean military statement on Wednesday that Pyongyang fired multiple missiles towards the sea from the Sondok area on the east coast. It was the fourth North Korean weapons launch in a month.

A South Korean Defence Ministry official said on 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-defence missile, first unveiled in November 2025, appears to have a guidance section resembling Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile.