According to North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday, the missiles "improved for the launch form the ship" were launched vertically the previous day and flew for about 7,800 seconds along a preset route to hit their targets.
The test launch came just a day before Trump's visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the historic city of Gyeongju, the final leg of his Asia trip that included stops in Malaysia and Japan.
With Kim absent, key party official Pak Jong Chon, along with other senior military brass, observed the test. Hailing it as a "success," the KCNA also reported that Pak instructed the training of mariners for the operation of the country's new 5,000-ton destroyers, dubbed "Choe Hyon" and "Kang Gun," named after partisan fighters against Japanese colonial rule, suggesting that the missiles were likely launched from one of these vessels.
But others say the possibility still remains in their wildest scenario, as Trump has hinted at his willingness to extend his stay here and may even travel to the North.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo earlier this week, "If he'd like to meet, I'm around," adding, "I'll be in South Korea, so I can be right over there."
On his way to Gyeongju earlier in the day, Trump reiterated that he has always had a "very good relationship" with Kim, saying, "At some point, we'll be involved with North Korea."
But he said his focus for now is his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping slated for Thursday, adding, "We'll come back and, at some point in the not-too-distant future, meet with North Korea."
Meanwhile, Trump is set to hold talks with President Lee Jae Myung later in the day, the second summit in about two months after they first met in Washington, D.C. in August.
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