&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Huge destructive power': North Korea calls its latest missile launches 'live-fire drill' even as US dismisses 'immediate threat'")
In its first response after missile launches on Sat, North Korea said on Mon (Sep 14) that it conducted a joint live-fire drill involving missiles, artillery and drones. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in a statement said that the drills demonstrated "the huge destructive power of concentration fire." After observing the drill, Marshal Pak Jong Chon said the drill would "improve the level of specialisation to bring down the enemy's armed forces organisationally and structurally once an order is issued." He added that the drill was meant to get familiar with the procedure for the operation of the integrated firepower control system.
On Saturday, South Korea said that North had fired an unidentified projectile toward the Sea of Japan. The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a statement, said that it detected the launch from around 5:20 a.m. (2020 GMT on Friday) that flew about 250 km (155 miles), toward the body of water that Koreans call the East Sea. South Korea’s National Security Office convened an emergency security situation review meeting and urged North Korea to immediately halt ballistic missile launches, calling them a serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The launches came just a day after South Korea concluded five days of joint maritime drills with the United States and Japan that were focused on North Korea.
US said ‘no threat’
US Pacific Command reacted to the launches but said that there was no immediate threat. “We are aware of the recent missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners. Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies. The United States remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region,” it said in a statement.
Trending Stories
)
Why asking questions could be more important than memorising answers
)
Did India risk its US trade deal despite softer stance at BRICS?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How 2nm technology improves iPhone performance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Shahid Kapoor to Rajkummar Rao: Actors who rule both theatres and OTT
)
BRICS Summit 2026: Trump wants to weaken BRICS, but maybe doing the opposite
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 batters fastest to 3000 runs in T20Is
)
Did BRICS Summit 2026 prove that an 11-member bloc with India and China in it can still agree on key issues?
)
Top 5 places to visit in Goa beyond its famous beaches
)
Delhi’s balancing act: BRICS serves as a stage for West Asia diplomacy
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why European Meteor missiles use ramjet engines compared to standard US solid rockets
)
'He is popular...': Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim's praise for PM Modi during bilateral meeting | WATCH
)
Iran, India agree to deepen humanitarian and political ties, President Pezeshkian says
)
‘Want to reset ties with India, have engagement based on mutual interests,’ says Bangladesh minister
)
BRICS Summit 2026: PM Modi, Xi reach key consensus on ties, China to assume BRICS chairmanship in 2027
)
UK breakup on the cards? Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland push for independence
)
Russia-Ukraine-US talks in October? Kremlin says not ruling out possibility of trilateral
)
Trump says Canada eager to reach a deal, it could come ‘fairly soon’ if Ottawa treats US farmers better
)
The Verdict | Africa is too big to remain a guest at the BRICS table
)
‘Partners, not rivals’: Xi outlines four point plan for stronger India-China ties
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missiles use dual-pulse motors compared to European interceptors
)
'It’s going to be a war': Ben Shelton on facing Zverev in US Open title clash
)
NATO under Russian threat? Drone strikes just 2 km from Poland, narrow escape for former UK PM, CIA chief
)
Trump defends Lincoln Memorial pool amid NYT report blaming renovation flaws, not vandalism
)
BRICS Summit: New Delhi declaration adopted with full consensus, big diplomatic win for India
)
800 million years old - Scientists discover 'fingerprints' of supercontinent Gondwana in ancient rocks
)
Russian drone hits Warsaw-bound train near Polish border, Zelensky accuses Moscow of ‘deliberate’ targeting
)
War is making Russia stronger? How Ukraine is shaping Moscow’s next generation of weapons
)
BRICS Summit 2026: Russia-India-China grouping never formalised
)
9-year-old Chennai prodigy clears Cambridge IGCSE grade 10 exams
)
Indian importers urge Bangladesh to lift export ban on 'Hilsa' fish ahead of Durga Puja
)
Humans may lose control of AI: Anthropic CEO calls for slowdown, Altman, Musk back him
)
US diplomat accused of possessing child abuse images secretly flown out of UK by US Marines
)
BRICS Summit 2026: Modi-Xi moment highlights India-China thaw at BRICS
)
Why does your skin need protection from UV rays?
)
PM Modi and China's Xi offered to help resolve Russia-Ukraine war: Kremlin
)
Akram, Afridi, Mushtaq tear into PCB after Pakistan’s Test series collapse in UK
Trump wants to meet Kim
The statement came as US President Donald Trump is trying to make several overtures to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Last month, Trump shortened annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises between South and US and called the drills "inappropriate and hostile" towards North Korea. Trump told reporters at the White House on August 19 he plans to meet the North Korean leader this year. The US president also said it was important to "get along" with Kim, adding that Pyongyang now had 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons. Seoul has said the North has around 80-120 nuclear weapons.
