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In the face of U.S. sanctions and pressure, the North Korean military successfully test-fired its newly-developed long-range cruise missiles over the weekend.
This comes as North Korea aims to illustrate to the U.S. its determination to continue expanding its military capabilities amid an impasse in nuclear negotiations with the U.S.
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North Korea's test-firing of its newly developed long-range cruise missiles hit the headlines.
Having no fear whatsoever the U.S. would be up in arms, the North even hailed its new missiles as a "strategic weapon of great significance", a commonly used euphemism for nuclear-capable system, that meets leader Kim Jong-un's call to arms.
Photos released by the North's state media featuring a projectile being fired from a launcher truck are illustrative of the North's steady progress in its nuclear weapons programme.
Sure enough, the North's plans didn't go awry.
Party Central Committee Secretary Pak Jong Chon and the Academy of National Defence Science supervised the test, as opposed to leader Kim Jong-un.
While North Korea's neighbours - South Korean, U.S. and Japanese military authorities - have yet to report on the tests over the weekend, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the South Korean military was analysing the North Korean launches based on U.S. and South Korean intelligence because of the North's threats.
By the same token, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command also said it was monitoring the situation with allies and that North Korea's launches are deemed bellicose.
The Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary also expressed concern. Katsunobu Kato said North Korean missiles of such range would undoubtedly pose a "serious threat to the peace and safety of Japan and its surrounding areas."
The cruise missiles reportedly flew 1,500 kilometres in 7,580 seconds along its oval trajectory.
Under most circumstances, North Korea's cruise missiles usually spark less interest and speculation than ballistic missiles do, since they are not explicitly banned under United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Now, chances are, the North's weapons tests are aimed at bolstering a fragile nuclear and missile programme that has all the makings of a form of defence against what the North claims as U.S. and South Korean hostility.
Now that the North is now at full throttle in their programme, many speculate the North resumed its testing activity in retaliation for the Biden administration's diplomatic freeze on the heels of Kim's failure at leveraging his nuclear arsenal for economic benefits during Donald Trump's tenure.
The latest tests followed an unusual parade last week in the capital of Pyongyang, which showcased anti-virus workers in hazmat suits, and was a marked departure from past militaristic displays.
No word yet on when the denuclearisation talks will begin again after this yearlong hiatus.
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