North Korea claims missiles were 'warning'

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL (AA) -- North Korea cautioned Friday that its missile launches into open water the previous day were intended to be a warning to "South Korean warmongers" ahead of a planned military drill with the U.S. next month.

According to Pyongyang's official KCNA news agency, the test involved a "new tactical guided weapon" that would be "hard to intercept" and was conducted under the supervision of Chairman Kim Jong-un.

"(Kim) emphasized that we cannot but develop nonstop super powerful weapon systems to remove the potential and direct threats to the security of our country that exist in the South," the report stated.

While the North perceives the U.S. to be part of that threat from the South, officials in Washington still expect working-level denuclearization dialogue to restart soon -- as agreed by President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim when they held a surprise meeting at the inter-Korean border last month.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Bloomberg Television Thursday that he anticipates talks with Pyongyang to resume "in a couple of weeks" while playing down the North's latest missile launches as an attempt to "create leverage".

Already heavily sanctioned, North Korea is barred from testing ballistic missiles under United Nations Security Council resolutions.