According to Korean Central News Agency Kim Jong Un, attended the test launch of the solid fuel-powered Hwasong-16 missile in a Pyongyang suburb and claimed all missiles his country has developed are now based on solid fuel technology and are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un guided the testing of the Hwasong-16 missile on Tuesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
A senior North Korean official has called for further strengthening ties with China, state media said on Monday.
South Korea and the US kicked off a major combined military exercise on Monday to reinforce deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats amid concern Pyongyang could use the manoeuvres as a pretext for provocations.
North Korea's recent removal of unification references could create an ideological vacuum or confusion among the elite ranks, leading the regime to carry out a military provocation to bring stability, Seoul's point man on Pyongyang said on Sunday.
Pyongyang has taken relatively drastic anti-virus measures by closing its borders with China, where the coronavirus originated in late December.
North Korea is among just a few countries in the world that claim to have no coronavirus infections, generating speculation that it might be hiding an outbreak.
Arguably, President Kim has also obfuscated reality as he turned up at the testing site without a face mask, even as South Korea has been battling the scourge.
The timing of the missile launches is interesting. At a time when the attention of the world is focussed on how to contain the spread of the deadly virus, North Korea has controlled information to the outside world and has reported no infections. It has projected an image of normality. Though the country closed the borders and all tourist traffic into the country well in time, it remains to be seen how it remained insulated from the spread of the virus when as many as 177 countries are reeling under its severity. Kim Jong-un often boasts of showing his presence at the site of missile launches but was not seen wearing a mask.
Pyongyang has moved to beef up self-defence capabilities amid stalled denuclearization talks with the US.
