missile warhead, state media KCNA reported Friday. Analysts described the event as a "show of force" targeting the South Korean capital region. Kim emphasized the need for "national defence development" to ensure "no enemy dare to confront" North Korea, which remains technically at war with the South. The isolated nation is under multiple UN sanctions for its nuclear program, which Pyongyang insists is a deterrent against the United States and South Korea.

The tests came after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung discussed the peninsula situation with US President Donald Trump at a G7 summit in France, where Trump reportedly said it was time to "pay attention to the North Korea issue."

Thursday's tests evaluated an upgraded 240mm-caliber 24-tubular multiple rocket launcher system with a new self-steered precision guidance system, the power of a tactical ballistic missile's "special mission warhead," and the accuracy of extended-range shells for a 155mm self-propelled gun-howitzer. The rocket launcher's range increased to 90 kilometers (56 miles), enough to reach parts of the Seoul metropolitan area from positions near the border. KCNA said the warhead "is aimed at inflicting fatal damage on major targets including airfields, ports and power facilities of the enemy."

Kim expressed satisfaction, noting progress in boosting firepower along the southern border through greater automation, longer range, and higher precision. He reiterated North Korea's focus on strengthening a "deadly and destructive offensive posture."

Analyst Yang Moo-jin said Pyongyang's detailed disclosures — specifying ranges and targets — amounted to provocation aimed at generating "public anxiety and fear" through routine displays of military might as a form of war deterrence. The tests follow Kim's earlier vows this month to beef up defense capabilities, citing US-South Korean military modernization as pushing the region "to the brink of a nuclear war." He also recently announced plans to equip the navy with nuclear weapons and build larger warships. (Bssnews)