N. Korean leader examines test-launch of surface-to-air missile system

North Korean leader Kim JOng-un examines the test-fire of new surface-to-air missiles at a launch site near Nampo City on Marc. 21. Yonhap/KCNA

SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected the test-fire of the country's newly developed surface-to-air missile system on Thursday, Pyongyang's state-controlled media reported Friday.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim expressed gratitude toward researchers at North Korea's Missile Administration and praised the new anti-aircraft missile system. KCNA reported that the new system was evaluated to be "highly reliable," and its combat responsiveness is "superior."

KCNA released photographs showing Kim sitting inside an observation room in a control tower, expressing satisfaction with the results of the missile test-launch. Other images showed missiles exploding mid-air after striking aerial targets.

The state media did not disclose the location of the launch site, but South Korea's military said that North Korea launched several surface-to-air missiles toward aerial targets over the West Sea, also known as the Yellow Sea, from an area near Nampo City, about 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) southwest of Pyongyang on Thursday.

The missiles were fired just before the conclusion of the South Korea–United States joint military exercise "Freedom Shield," but the South Korean military made no official statement about the missiles because they were not ballistic missiles, which would violate United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military was prepared for the possibility of missile launches and took real-time counteraction after detecting the test-launch.