North Korea Reports Test of Long-Range Cruise Missiles

According to Rokna, citing The Washington Post, the missile launches on Sunday mark the latest military demonstration ahead of the ruling Workers’ Party congress planned for early next year. The international focus on the congress—the first in five years—is expected to be on whether leader Kim Jong Un will outline new priorities for relations with the United States and respond to Washington’s calls to resume long-dormant negotiations.

According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim expressed “great satisfaction” with Sunday’s tests, conducted off North Korea’s west coast. The agency stated that demonstrating the strength and reliability of the country’s nuclear deterrence is “a responsible exercise of the right to self-defense and deterrence in the face of external threats.”

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed observing multiple cruise missile launches from the region near North Korea’s capital on Sunday morning. Seoul stressed that it remains prepared to counter any potential provocations in coordination with its U.S. ally.

While U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibit North Korea from conducting tests involving its extensive stockpile of ballistic missiles, cruise missile tests are not banned. However, these missiles remain a threat to both the U.S. and South Korea due to their maneuverability and low-altitude flight capabilities, which help them evade radar detection. Analysts suggest North Korea could target U.S. naval vessels and aircraft carriers with such missiles in a conflict scenario.

Last week, Pyongyang test-fired new anti-air missiles off its east coast and released images showing a largely completed hull of a developmental nuclear-powered submarine, hinting at plans to arm it with nuclear weapons. The submarine is part of a range of advanced weapons systems Kim has pledged to deploy to counter what he describes as U.S.-led security threats. Some experts note that North Korea’s growing cooperation with Russia—sending troops and military equipment to support President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine—may have enabled the acquisition of critical technologies.

Since the collapse of high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019, North Korea has prioritized weapons testing to expand its nuclear arsenal. In September, Kim suggested he could return to negotiations if the U.S. abandons its “delusional obsession with denuclearization” of North Korea. Experts believe Kim may consider his growing nuclear capabilities a tool to gain leverage in any potential future talks with the U.S.