North Korea says it tested a new cruise missile in the latest example of its expanding capabilities

North Korea said Thursday it conducted its first flight test of a new cruise missile as it expands its military capabilities in the face of deepening tensions with the United States and neighboursThe report in state media came a day after South Koreas military said it detected the North firing several cruise missiles into waters off its western coast The Souths Joint Chiefs of Staff did not provide more specific assessments including the number of missiles fired or their flight characteristicsThe Norths official Korean Central News Agency said the Pulhwasal331 missile is still in its development phase and that the launch did not pose a threat to neighbours It described the missile as strategic implying an intent to arm them with nuclear weaponsThe cruise missile launches were North Koreas second known launch event of the year following a Jan 14 testfiring of the countrys first solidfuel intermediaterange ballistic missile which reflected its efforts to advance its lineup of weapons targeting US military bases in Japan and GuamNorth Koreas cruise missiles are among its growing arsenal of weapons aimed at overwhelming missile defenses in South Korea and Japan They supplement the countrys huge lineup of ballistic missiles including intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to reach the US mainlandWhile North Korean cruise missile activities arent directly banned under UN sanctions experts say those weapons potentially pose a serious threat to South Korea and Japan They are designed to be harder to detect by radar and North Korea claims they are nuclearcapable and their range is up to 2000 kilometers a distance that would include US military bases in JapanSince 2021 North Korea has conducted at least 10 rounds of tests of what it described as longrange cruise missiles fired from both land and sea Tensions in the region have increased in recent months as Kim continues to accelerate his weapons development and make provocative threats of nuclear conflict with the United States and its Asian alliesIn response the United States South Korea and Japan have been expanding their combined military exercises which Kim condemns as invasion rehearsals and use as a pretext to further ramp up his military demonstrations There are concerns that Kim could dial up pressure in an election year in the United States and South KoreaSouth Korean experts and officials say Kims weapons drive has put further strain on a broken economy decimated by decades of mismanagement and USled sanctions over his nuclear ambitionsIn a separate report KCNA said Kim during a twoday ruling party meeting held through Wednesday criticized officials for failures in sufficiently providing basic living necessities including condiments foodstuff and consumption goods to people living in the countryside and less developed cities and townsKim had called the meeting to discuss a 10year project he announced last week to promote a more balanced regional development which includes a goal of building modern factories in every county nationwideSatellite images analyzed by The Associated Press this week suggest North Korea has torn down a huge arch in its capital that symbolized reconciliation with South Korea a week after Kim dismissed decades of hopes for peaceful reunification with the wardivided peninsulas southKim last week described the Pyongyang monument as an eyesore and called for its removal while declaring that the North was abandoning longstanding goals of a peaceful unification with South Korea and ordered a rewriting of the Norths constitution to define the South as its most hostile foreign adversary He accused South Korea of acting as topclass stooges of the Americans and repeated a threat that he would use his nukes to annihilate the South if provokedAnalysts say North Korea could be aiming to diminish South Koreas voice in the regional nuclear standoff and eventually force direct dealings with Washington as it looks to cement its nuclear status