North Korea said Sunday it tested a cruise missile system, its third known weapons display this year, and vowed “the toughest” response to what it called the escalation of U.S.-South Korean military drills that target the North.

North Korea test-fired strategic cruise missiles on Saturday the official Korean Central News Agency reported, marking a third launch this month as Donald Trump returned to power in the US.

SEOUL: North Korea said on Sunday it tested a cruise missile system, its third known weapons display this year, and vowed "the toughest" response to what it called the escalation of US-South Korean military drills that target the North.

North Korea conducted a strategic cruise missile test on Saturday, state media KCNA reported on Sunday. The country's leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test, according to the report, which described it as a test-fire of an "important weapon system.

North Korea conducted a test launch of a strategic cruise missile. The launch took place from the sea, submerged underwater, reports the Central News Agency of Korea (KCNA). The test took place as part of the national defense plan aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of strategic deterrence against potential adversaries.

North Korea fires what it claims to be a sea-to-surface strategic cruise guided weapon on Jan. 25, 2025, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea.