Key facts
- North Korea conducted a drill using an intermediate-range strategic missile.
- Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, announced the missile test.
- The missile flew more than 700 kilometers toward the East Sea.
- Kim Jong Un oversaw the drill.
North Korea conducted a drill involving an intermediate-range strategic missile, according to Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un. The South Korean military reported earlier on Saturday that North Korea fired a ballistic missile which flew more than 700 kilometers toward the sea off its east coast.
Kim Yo Jong, a director of North Korea's ruling party, stated that the drill involved an "intermediate-range strategic missile" fired toward the East Sea. Leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the drill, which was carried out by a "firepower sub-unit undertaking an exclusive special mission," his sister said. She also claimed that South Korea and Japan failed to track the missile's trajectory and speed, suggesting their tracking capabilities were limited. She added that the missile could change its flight orbit at a low altitude using artificial intelligence technology, making it difficult to intercept.