Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775702806737Screen Shot 2026-04-09 at 10.46.29 AM.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">This picture taken on August 24, 2024 and released by North Korea&#x27;s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on August 26 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (front C) inspecting a performance test of drones organized by the Drone Institute of the Academy of Defense Sciences at an undisclosed location in North Korea. KCNA via KNS/AFP<br/></span></span></span></div><p>SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea tested weapon systems over three days this week, including the firing of ballistic missiles and cluster bombs, its state media said on Thursday.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/24/north-korea-s-kim-vows-irreversible-nuclear-status-warns-seoul-of-merciless-response-0742">North Korea&#x27;s Kim vows &#x27;irreversible&#x27; nuclear status, warns Seoul of &#x27;merciless&#x27; response</a></div><p>A mobile short-range anti-aircraft missile system was also included in the tests, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.</p><p>The trials took place Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, as part of regular efforts to develop and upgrade weapons systems, KCNA said.</p><p>South Korea&#x27;s military reported earlier that North Korea had fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles in two rounds on Wednesday, and an &quot;unidentified projectile&quot; the previous day.</p><p>According to KCNA, the exercises &quot;confirmed that the surface-to-surface tactical ballistic missile Hwasongpho-11 Ka tipped with the cluster bomb warhead can reduce to ashes any target covering an area of 6.5-7 hectares&quot;.</p><p>Cluster munitions disperse dozens or even hundreds of smaller submunitions over a wide area, making them controversial because of the long-term risks they pose to civilians.</p><p>Also tested were an &quot;electromagnetic weapon system&quot; and &quot;carbon fiber sham bombs scattering&quot; that KCNA described as &quot;special assets of strategic nature&quot;.</p><p>The launches also involved the use of &quot;low-cost materials&quot; to examine the &quot;maximum workload of the engine&quot;, it added.</p><p>South Korea&#x27;s military said Wednesday a short-range missile fired in the second round of launches in the day flew more than 700 kilometers (434 miles).</p><p>It followed an earlier launch of multiple short-range ballistic missiles towards the East Sea -- also known as the Sea of Japan -- which flew around 240 kilometers.</p><p>North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was not reported to have attended the trials.</p><p>No photos of the launches have yet been released by official media.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong style="background-color:transparent">DEEP FRUSTRATIONS</strong></div><div><strong style="background-color:transparent"></strong><strong style="background-color:transparent"> </strong></div><p>Analysts said the launches, North Korea&#x27;s fourth and fifth known ballistic missile tests this year, signaled its latest rebuff of Seoul&#x27;s attempts to repair ties with the North.</p><p>Those included an expression of regret from Seoul on Monday over civilian drone incursions into the North in January.</p><p>The comments were initially described as &quot;very fortunate and wise behavior&quot; by Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korea&#x27;s leader.</p><p>But on Tuesday, a senior North Korean official described the South as &quot;the enemy state most hostile&quot; to Pyongyang, reviving a label previously used by leader Kim Jong Un.</p><p>The launches showed Pyongyang&#x27;s &quot;deep-seated frustration&quot; with Seoul despite the latter&#x27;s repeated overtures, Hong Tae-hwa, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, told AFP.</p><p>&quot;From the North&#x27;s perspective, Seoul&#x27;s reconciliatory overtures over the years -- when they happened -- delivered neither sanctions relief nor security guarantees,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;North Korea has little interest in direct dialogue with Seoul, at least for now.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TdfhwPd4j7M?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UVUvAQ9wS_M?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/61qAv7dz63c?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>North Korea tested weapon systems over three days this week, including the firing of ballistic missiles and cluster bombs, its state media said on Thursday.</p>

North Korea tested weapon systems over three days this week, including the firing of ballistic missiles and cluster bombs, its state media said on Thursday.

North Korea holds three days of weapons testing: KCNA

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North Korea holds three days of weapons testing: KCNA

Kang Jin-kyu,

Agence France-Presse

Published April 09, 2026 10:47 AM PHT

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Agence France-Presse

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