North Korea Claims More Progress in Missile Development
North Korea claims it has successfully conducted a solid-fuel rocket engine test, which if confirmed, would boost the country's missile attack capability against South Korea and the United States.
The North's state media said that leader Kim Jong Un expressed delight after observing the successful testing of a "large-output solid fuel rocket engine," which made an "earth-shaking" sound as it spit out a large beam of fire, the Associated Press reports.
South Korea's defense ministry says it needs to analyze the statement, but as the North is a secretive and tightly controlled country it makes it nearly impossible to independently confirm their statement.
In recent weeks North Korea has launched missiles and other weapons as well as threatened to attack South Korea. The North claims that it's in response to ongoing annual South Korea-U.S military drills that they view as an invasion rehearsal.
The drills are the biggest, and come after North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test and launched a long-range rocket earlier this year.
"In regard to such threats by North Korea, President Park Geun-hye instructed [the military] to strengthen security across South Korea in order to prevent even the smallest problem with our people's safety, and also asked citizens for special attention to emergency situations," said Kim Sung-woo, South Korean chief presidential press secretary.
"In addition, [President Park] instructed the military to be at full military readiness to aggressively cope with North Korea's reckless provocations," Sung-woo added.
South Korea's president has also ordered a heightened security alert on Thursday, a day after North Korea threatened to launch artillery bombardment on her presidential palace.
