Kim Yo Jong confirms N. Korea intermediate-range missile test — SkimNews
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- Kim Yo Jong confirmed North Korea tested an intermediate-range strategic missile toward the sea off its east coast on Saturday, with the drill overseen by leader Kim Jong Un and carried out by "a firepower sub-unit undertaking an exclusive special mission."
- The South Korean military said the ballistic missile flew more than 700 kilometers (435 miles) toward the sea off the east coast.
- Kim Yo Jong mocked South Korea and Japan's tracking capabilities, saying they "failed to track the targets from their first skip points" and that they "should acknowledge the speed of the missile" without disclosing the speed or showing evidence.
- Kim Yo Jong claimed the missile could change its flight orbit at low altitude using artificial intelligence technology, declaring "there is no way to avoid this attack."
- North Korea has launched missile tests on more than 10 occasions so far this year, sometimes after protesting joint military drills between Seoul and Washington.
- The launch came one day after Kim Yo Jong dismissed Seoul's demand for an apology over North Korean mines that seriously wounded South Korean soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone.
Why it matters: Kim Yo Jong's boast of an unverified AI-guided, untrackable missile comes one day after she rejected Seoul's apology demand over DMZ mines, stacking simultaneous pressure on Seoul and Tokyo as North Korea surpasses 10 missile launches this year.
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