North Korea claims to have “successfully” test-fired new long-range cruise missiles, which hit their targets 1,500 km away

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency describes the missiles as a “strategic weapon of great significance”.

The tests took place over the weekend, just days after the reclusive nation celebrated the 73rd anniversary of its founding with a late night military parade.

State media says the missiles flew for 7,580 seconds along “oval and pattern-8 flight orbits” and landed in the nation’s territorial waters.

The missile tests are the first that Pyongyang has carried out since March. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un does not appear to have been in attendance for the launches.

Bruce Wolpe from the United States Studies Centre says North Korea wants to create some attention.

“When Kim engages in these acts, he’s essentially saying pay attention to me… don’t forget I’m here. And he rattles the cage,” Wolpe told Ticker News.

The Korean Central News Agency says the test provides “strategic significance of possessing another effective deterrence means for more reliably guaranteeing the security of our state and strongly containing the military manoeuvres of the hostile forces”.

STALLED NUCLEAR NEGOTIATIONS

The latest missile tests come amid a protracted standoff between North Korea and the United States.

Negotiations to get North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal have remained stalled since 2019.

Pyongyang says it won’t give up its nuclear weapons, while America pursues a “hostile” policy.

Bruce Wolpe believes U.S. President Joe Biden will see the missile tests as justification for his decision to pull troops out of Afghanistan.

“It affirms, at least in President Biden’s mind, the wisdom of the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan because there are other issues that need his attention and focus,” Bruce Wolpe says.

The U.S special envoy for North Korea, Sung Kim, is visiting Japan this week to meet with his counterparts from South Korea and Japan.

One of the pressing issues up for discussion is how to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula.

But as history shows, it’s no easy feat.

The Biden administration says the best way to address the nuclear threat is through diplomacy and dialogue.

The special envoy has even offered to meet his North Korean counterparts “anywhere, anytime without preconditions.”

But North Korea has not been willing to engage.