N. Korea says leader Kim inspected long-range artillery unit's drill

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Tuesday leader Kim Jong-un guided a firing drill of a long-range artillery unit the previous day.

On Monday, South Korea's military said the North fired two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea in the first such launches since Pyongyang warned of a "new strategic weapon" and "shocking actual action" at the beginning of the year.

According to the North's state radio, Kim expressed "great satisfaction" over the unit's test-firing and called for a strong "military readiness posture."

North Korea conducted 13 major weapons tests last year, but has been keeping its military operations low-key recently amid the outbreak of the coronavirus across the globe.

The latest projectiles were fired within a 20-second interval and flew around 240 kilometers, reaching a maximum altitude of around 35 km, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

scaaet@yna.co.kr
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