Share Comment on this story CommentSEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed the test-firing of strategic cruise missiles, state media reported Monday, as the U.S. and South Korean militaries kicked off major annual drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal. Its cruise missile tests aren’t banned, but they still pose a threat because they fly at a lower altitude to avoid radar detection. Analysts say North Korea aims to use cruise missiles to strike incoming U.S. warships and aircraft carriers in the event of conflict. The U.S. and South Korean militaries said they also plan conduct large-scale field exercises as well. North Korea in past years has slammed major U.S.-South Korean drills as practice for an invasion and has responded to them with missile tests.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 21, 2023 01:45 UTC