N. KOREA SAYS IT CONDUCTED MISSILE DRILL

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North Korea announced Friday morning it conducted a strategic cruise missile launching drill into the East Sea early Thursday. This is seen as a response to the recent South Korea-U.S. joint air drill.

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North Korea says that it conducted a strategic cruise missile launching drill in the northeastern city of Kim Chaek in Hamgyongbukdo Province, aiming toward the East Sea early Thursday. The North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper said that four Hwasal-2 strategic cruise missiles were fired and they precisely hit the preset target after traveling a 2,000 kilometer-long elliptical and eight-shaped flight orbits for 10,208 to 10,224 seconds. That is approximately two hours and 50 minutes. The paper said the drill reaffirmed the reliability of the weapon system and examined the rapid response posture of strategic cruise missile units which constitute a key element in North Korea's nuclear deterrence. It said the drill achieved its intended purpose. The ruling Workers' Party's Central Military Commission also reportedly expressed great satisfaction with the results of the drill. The report stressed, the exercise clearly demonstrated the war posture of the North's nuclear combat force, which is bolstering its deadly nuclear counterattack capability against hostile forces in every way. The drill mobilized firepower battalions of the strategic cruise missile units while other battalions also engaged in training, though not live fire drills, at base camps, according to the report. The latest drill is seen as a protest to the table-top exercise held by South Korea and the US against the North's nuclear threats. The allies held their 8th round of tabletop drills at the Pentagon on Wednesday local time. The exercise assumes a contingency scenario on the Korean Peninsula for which the two sides discuss a step-by-step response plan. With the allies announcing plans to even visit a US nuclear submarine base, there has been speculation that Pyongyang would stage more provocations. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it is closely monitoring the area where the North's missile drill is said to have taken place using a range of its own and US reconnaissance assets. The JCS is also analyzing the veracity of the North's latest claim. South Korea's unification ministry has called on North Korea to stop its reckless nuclear and missile provocations and focus on improving living conditions for its own people.