North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test launch of two new air defense missiles, state media reported Saturday, as tensions escalated on the Korean Peninsula following a border incident and ongoing U.S.–South Korean military drills. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the weapons demonstrated "superior combat capability" with "unique technology" suitable for destroying aerial targets such as drones and cruise missiles. No further technical details were provided. The test came just hours after South Korea said it fired warning shots Tuesday when about 30 North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The United Nations Command confirmed the incursion, while Pyongyang accused Seoul of staging a "deliberate provocation." Large-scale joint exercises between South Korea and the United States have been underway since Monday, drawing sharp condemnation from Kim. Earlier this month, he described the drills as "most hostile and confrontational," vowing to accelerate North Korea's nuclear weapons program. The missile test also precedes a planned summit in Washington on Monday between U.S. President Donald Trump and newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who has signaled an interest in improving inter-Korean relations. However, Kim's sister has already rebuffed overtures from Lee's government. North Korea has conducted a string of weapons tests this year, including a claimed launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a hypersonic warhead in January. South Korean officials have voiced concerns that Pyongyang may be receiving Russian missile technology in exchange for supporting Moscow's war in Ukraine, though it remains unclear whether Russian systems were involved in Saturday's launches. North and South Korea remain technically at war since the 1953 armistice ended active fighting in the Korean War without a peace treaty. — Agencies
