North Korea conducts cruise missile tests as Trump visits South Korea

North Korea on Wednesday said it had successfully test-fired a series of cruise missiles, in a move seen as a fresh display of its expanding military capabilities — timed to coincide with US President Donald Trump’s visit to South Korea.

The launches, which took place on Tuesday, were confirmed by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency, which said the sea-to-surface missiles flew for more than two hours before “accurately striking targets” in the country’s western waters.

KCNA said the weapons would contribute to “expanding the operational sphere” of the country’s nuclear-armed military.

The tests came just days after North Korea conducted short-range ballistic missile launches involving a new hypersonic system, marking the country’s first ballistic missile activity in five months.

Trump downplays launches

The timing of the tests coincided with Trump’s stop in Gyeongju, where he met South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. Trump, who has repeatedly signalled a desire to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his Asia trip, acknowledged that 'timing' made a meeting difficult to arrange.

“I know Kim Jong Un very well. We get along very well,” Trump told reporters before his meeting with Lee. “We really weren’t able to work out timing.”

Speaking earlier aboard Air Force One, Trump appeared to downplay the significance of the latest test. “He’s been launching missiles for decades, right?” he remarked, referring to Kim.

Trump is in South Korea for trilateral discussions with Lee and Chinese President Xi Jinping, ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit later this week. He is, however, expected to skip the APEC summit, citing scheduling concerns.

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South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said both Seoul and Washington were analysing the missile tests and maintaining a combined defence posture capable of a “dominant response” to any provocation.

Officials said the launch demonstrated Pyongyang’s growing cruise missile capability, which poses a unique challenge as such missiles can fly at low altitudes, making them harder to intercept than traditional ballistic projectiles.

Defence analysts noted that the two-hour flight time suggested improved fuel efficiency and navigational precision — advances that could enhance North Korea’s second-strike nuclear capability.

Diplomacy remains frozen

Despite Trump’s overtures, Pyongyang has not responded to any renewed calls for dialogue. North Korea has largely shunned communication with both Washington and Seoul since the collapse of Trump–Kim nuclear diplomacy in 2019, when talks broke down over disagreements on sanctions relief and de-nuclearisation.

Trump and Kim met three times during Trump’s first term, including their high-profile encounter at Panmunjom, the demilitarised border village, but the talks failed to yield any lasting agreement.

“Many experts say North Korea will not likely return to talks with Trump unless it is assured of major concessions like sweeping sanctions relief,” a Seoul-based analyst said. “However, ignoring Trump’s outreach could also risk losing political leverage in Washington.”

Last month, Kim Jong Un reiterated that he would not return to negotiations until the United States dropped its demand for complete de-nuclearisation, a condition he called 'unilateral and unrealistic'.

North Korea’s foreign policy has increasingly pivoted towards Moscow. In recent months, Kim has sent troops and weapons to support Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, and embraced rhetoric promoting a 'new Cold War' between Western and anti-Western blocs.

Analysts say the partnership with Russia provides Pyongyang with economic and military lifelines amid sanctions, while giving Moscow access to cheap munitions and manpower.

With PTI inputs

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