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North Korea’s Missile Administration successfully tested a new weapon of “major significance” for advancing weapons system technology on Sept. 20, with leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae in attendance, the Korean Central News Agency reported on Sept. 22. / Yonhap

North Korea said on Sept. 22 that the ballistic missiles it launched two days earlier were part of a successful test of a new weapon system with “major significance” for advancing its weapons technology.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, the ballistic missiles launched by North Korea at three-hour intervals on Sept. 20 were part of a “new combat weapons system,” with leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Kim Ju-ae observing the test.

“The test of the new combat weapons system was part of the normal activities of the Missile Administration of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and its affiliated national defense science research institutes in implementing the country’s defense policy,” KCNA said, claiming that “the test had no negative impact whatsoever on the safety of neighboring countries.”

Kim said the test represented “an unmistakable demonstration of advanced national defense technology and a clear renewal in the modernization of the armed forces.”

“For our enemies, this reality will become an incurable headache and an extremely harsh and unavoidable baptism,” he said.

Kim added that “the acquisition of such technology carries major significance for the prospective development of our armed forces and for the country’s war preparedness,” saying that “our adversaries will understand better what such an upgrade means in military and technological terms.”

                                                                                                            Mok Yong-jae