North Korean state media has reported that leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the testing of a multiple rocket launcher system and called for a "strong military readiness posture."
The Korean Central News Agency said on Tuesday that Kim expressed great satisfaction over the firing drills carried out by a long-range artillery sub-unit.
According to the KCNA, Kim said the People's Army should "keep full combat-readiness to protect the sky, land and sea of the country from any encroachment, steadily increase its combat capabilities."
The report came a day after the South Korean military said the North fired two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, and days after the first anniversary of the second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi.
The North warned of a "new strategic weapon" and "shocking actual action" at the beginning of the year amid little progress in negotiations over denuclearization and sanctions relief.
Pyongyang had recently been keeping its military operations low-key, apparently due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus around the world.
North Korea claims it does not have a single confirmed case of the new virus.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>
