JAKARTA - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Kim Ju-ae oversaw the test of the Hwasong-11 Ra tactical ballistic missile to evaluate the missile's warhead, Pyongyang's state media reported on Monday.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published the report, a day after the South Korean military detected several short-range ballistic missiles launched into the East Sea around 06.10 am from the North Korean Sinpho area.
KCNA said the purpose of the test was to evaluate the power of the "cluster bomb warhead and fragmentation mine warhead" mounted on the weapon system.
"Five missiles hit the target area near an island about 136 kilometers away with a 'very high density', which fully demonstrated its combat capability," the KCNA report said, quoted by The Korea Times (20/4).
Leader Kim expressed "great satisfaction" with the launch test, saying, "It is very important to improve high-density attack capabilities to conquer specific target areas, as well as high-precision attack capabilities."
"The development and introduction of various cluster bomb warheads can meet the operational needs of the Korean People's Army in a more satisfactory and effective way," the report added.
Leader Kim also encouraged the scientific research group responsible for the development of weapons, expressing hope that they would continue "their important efforts to acquire and renew various ultra-modern technologies necessary for the combat readiness of our army."
Sunday's missile test follows North Korea's firing of several short-range ballistic missiles on April 8. State media said at the time that North Korea was testing a tactical ballistic missile equipped with a cluster bomb warhead, claiming that the missile could "destroy any target" within its range with the highest density power.
Separately, South Korea's National Security Office condemned North Korea's latest missile launch as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and called for an immediate cessation of North Korean missile provocations.
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