Kim Jong Un oversees tests of new tactical weapons for frontline units
SEOUL, May 27 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw tests of new tactical missile and artillery systems intended for frontline units near South Korea, state-run media reported Wednesday, as Pyongyang pushes to modernize its short-range strike capabilities.
The tests conducted Tuesday included a newly developed lightweight multi-purpose missile launcher, a tactical cruise missile system and 240-millimeter guided artillery rockets equipped with ultra-precision navigation systems, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
Kim singled out the tactical cruise missile system for praise, with KCNA reporting it that would be deployed to long-range artillery brigades in the southern border area near South Korea.
The missile combines an autonomous navigation system with terrain contour matching, or TERCOM, technology and an AI-based terminal guidance function, KCNA said. The system is capable of striking targets roughly 60 miles away through a multimode flight system using gliding and powered flight.
Kim said the tests demonstrated a "clear signal of upgrading of our military force and an event of showing great technical progress in the strengthening of our army's combat power," according to KCNA.
"It is our top-priority policy direction for the building of armed forces to build the most modern and powerful artillery force which no one can match," he said. "It is essential condition for our army's operations to have such destructive power as enough to make any encountering force impossible to survive."
The report came one day after South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff detected the launch of multiple close-range ballistic missiles and other projectiles into the Yellow Sea from the vicinity of Chongju, a city on North Korea's west coast.
The missiles traveled roughly 50 miles, the JCS said.
The tests come as Pyongyang continues to harden its military posture toward Seoul and expand both its nuclear and conventional weapons programs.
North Korea recently revised its constitution to remove references to reunification with South Korea, formalizing Kim's push to redefine inter-Korean ties as relations between two separate states.
Last week, Kim called for strengthening frontline defenses along the border with South Korea to create an "impregnable fortress."
Tuesday's launches were North Korea's eighth weapons test this year and its first in over a month. In April, Pyongyang conducted a series of weapons drills that included ballistic missiles carrying cluster bomb warheads.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who has sought to ease tensions with the North since taking office in June, this week called for Seoul to strengthen its military capabilities in response to North Korea's growing weapons threats.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Tuesday said South Korea plans to launch its first nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s.
"Nuclear-powered submarines are expected to play a key role in responding to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, based on their ability to remain submerged for an extended period with greater mobility," Ahn said at a defense strategy session.
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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 5:14 AM.