North Korea has test-fired two strategic long-range cruise missiles (AP image)

North Korea has test-fired two strategic long-range cruise missiles to demonstrate its nuclear combat readiness. This comes as tensions continue to rise on the Korean Peninsula amid increased military activity by the United States and South Korea.According to state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the missile launches took place on Sunday over the Yellow Sea, west of the Korean Peninsula. Leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the drill, which was aimed at reviewing the combat capability and counter-offensive readiness of long-range missile units.

KCNA reported that the missiles flew for more than two hours before successfully hitting their targets. The state media released videos showing the missiles being launched and striking targets at sea.

Kim expressed “great satisfaction” with the exercise and said North Korea would continue the “unlimited and sustained development” of its nuclear combat forces.

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South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that it had detected several cruise missile launches at around 8.00 am on Sunday from the Sunan area near Pyongyang. The South Korean military said it is maintaining full readiness in close coordination with the United States to respond to any potential provocations.

North Korea described the launches as a defensive measure. KCNA said Kim stressed that testing the reliability of the country’s nuclear deterrence was a “responsible exercise of the right to self-defence and war deterrence” in response to what Pyongyang sees as growing external security threats, news agency AFP reported. The missile test comes days after North Korea revealed its progress in building the country's first nuclear-powered submarine.

Last week, KCNA reported that Kim inspected a large submarine under construction at an indoor facility. He was accompanied by the senior officials and his daughter, Kim Ju Ae. Pyongyang has suggested that the submarine could be armed with nuclear-capable missiles.The timing of the missile drill is also significant as North Korea prepares for a ruling Workers’ Party congress early next year, the first in five years.

International attention will focus on whether Kim outlines new policy directions, including toward the United States and stalled nuclear negotiations.Tensions have increased following South Korea’s plans to build a nuclear-powered submarine, a move Kim described as an “offensive act” that violates North Korea’s security and maritime sovereignty. Pyongyang has also strongly criticised the recent docking of the US Navy’s nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Greenville at the South Korean port city of Busan.Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the cruise missile drill was intended to counter these developments. He said the arrow-type cruise missiles, with a range of about 2,000 kilometres, could strike targets across the Korean Peninsula as well as US military bases in Japan.While United Nations Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, cruise missile tests are not prohibited.