DPRK test-fires new ballistic missile, improved strategic cruise missile

SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) test-fired a new-type tactical ballistic missile and an improved strategic cruise missile on Wednesday, as the country's top leader called for bolstering up the military capability for self-defence when he guided the event, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday.

The test-fire of the new-type tactical ballistic missile, called Hwasongpho-11-Da-4.5, was aimed at verifying the hitting accuracy at medium range of 320 km and explosive power of its payload of a 4.5 tonnage super-large conventional warhead, the KCNA said.

The DPRK also test-fired a strategic cruise missile whose performance has been highly upgraded for its combat use, according to the report.

Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, said the security situation makes it an imperative for the country to bolster up the military capability for self-defence, the KCNA said.

The DPRK leader stressed the need to continue to bolster up the nuclear force and have the strongest military technical capability and overwhelming offensive capability in the field of conventional weapons, it added.