Seoul, Aug 24 (HS): North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the launch of two newly developed air defence missiles, state media announced on Sunday, hailing them as having “superior combat capability” and employing “unique technology.”

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the Saturday launches proved effective against “various aerial targets,” including drones and cruise missiles, though no technical details were disclosed.

The test comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Just days earlier, South Korea fired warning shots after about 30 North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), prompting Pyongyang to accuse Seoul of “deliberate provocation.”

The standoff coincides with ongoing large-scale joint military drills between South Korea and the United States — exercises North Korea denounced as “hostile and confrontational.”

US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung are set to hold a summit in Washington on Monday, with Seoul’s new leader advocating improved inter-Korean ties. However, Kim’s influential sister has rejected conciliatory overtures from Lee’s government.

The missile launch also renews questions about possible Russian assistance. South Korean officials have previously alleged that Moscow has supplied Pyongyang with missile technology and equipment in exchange for support in the Ukraine conflict, though it remains unclear whether the latest weapons involve Russian input.

North Korea — still technically at war with the South since the 1953 armistice — has ramped up its weapons programme this year, including January’s test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile claimed to carry a hypersonic warhead. Kim has vowed to accelerate nuclear weapons development, underscoring the regime’s defiance even as regional security concerns mount.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar