The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted tests this week of "updated 240 mm-calibre controlled multiple-launch rockets", state media reported on Thursday.

The tests conducted on September 22 were guided by Second Economy Commission chairman Ko Pyong Hyon and overseen by several military officials, including Marshal Pak Jong Chon, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

It did not mention the presence of leader Kim Jong Un, who often oversees important weapons tests.

KCNA said that an "autonomous pinpoint guide system" had been applied to the rockets, which are "capable of striking the targets 100 km away in a trajectory flight mode and those 115 km away in a combined glide mode".

"The leading cadres expressed their unanimous view that the development of range-extended rockets assures them of a significant change in the firepower readiness along the southern border," KCNA reported.

Marshal Pak, while citing general directives from Kim, "stressed the need to concentrate the deadliest and destructive attack forces on (the) southern border," KCNA said.

He also "underscored the need to make the enemy aware of the fact that we have replaced all our armed forces' long-range strike means with the latest ones at the earliest date."

A separate KCNA report said that the same day, Kim and Pak had watched a football match between the DPRK's Missile Administration and the Second Economy Commission.

It did not say whether the match took place before or after the rocket artillery tests, but the team from the Missile Administration won, 4-1.

The DPRK has conducted a long series of weapons tests this year, including two ballistic missile launches on Sunday that analysts said appeared to be a hypersonic weapon. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong