Kim Yo-jong, head of the Workers' Party of Korea's General Affairs Department, said North Korea conducted an intermediate-range strategic missile launch drill over the East Sea on the morning of Oct. 3. She said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observed the exercise in person.
In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim confirmed the launch, saying a strategic weapons launch drill had been conducted over the East Sea in the early hours of the day and that an intermediate-range strategic missile was used.
Kim commented on the flight distances announced by the South Korean and Japanese militaries, noting that South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff put the range at more than 700 kilometers while Japan's Defense Ministry estimated about 680 kilometers. She called the figures "interesting numbers" and claimed that "the enemies lost track of the target after the first apex (bounce) point of its flight path."
Touting the missile's capabilities, she said it was worth recalling earlier North Korean announcements that the weapon can alter its flight path at low altitude and incorporates artificial intelligence. "There is virtually no way to evade this strike," she said.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said earlier that it detected one ballistic missile fired toward the East Sea from the area of Wonsan, North Korea, at around 6:30 a.m. the same day. The missile flew more than 700 kilometers, and South Korean and U.S. authorities are conducting a detailed analysis of its exact specifications, the JCS said.
