(VOVWORLD) - North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles off its west coast on Friday, South Korea's military said, marking the fourth time in just over a week that Pyongyang has launched such missiles off both coasts.
North Korea has said since last week that it had tested "strategic" cruise missiles implied to be designed to carry nuclear warheads.
Earlier this week, The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported the country had tested its new submarine-launched cruise missiles (SLCM). Leader Kim Jong Un was on site to supervise the launch.
The latest launch comes after Kim’s early Friday inspection of a shipyard in the port city of Nampho, where he stressed the importance of a strong naval force in "war preparations", according to KCNA.
He was briefed on the construction of various warships under a new "huge plan" decided by the North Korean leadership, said KCNA, without elaborating further.
North Korea has accused the United States and South Korea of escalating tensions with large-scale military drills, leaving it with no choice but to step up preparations for a nuclear war.
On Friday, the US Special Operations Command said it had completed training with South Korea's special operations forces.