North Korea says it tested new long-range cruise missiles

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says it has successfully tested newly developed long-range cruise missiles over the weekend. The tests underscore how the country continues to expand its military capabilities amid a stalemate in nuclear negotiations with the United States. The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported the tests Monday. The North hailed its new missiles as a “strategic weapon of great significance.” That wording implies they were developed with the intent to arm them with nuclear warheads. North Korea says it needs nuclear weapons in order to deter what it claims is hostility from the U.S. and South Korea. The international community is bent on getting the North to abandon its nuclear arsenal, but U.S.-led negotiations have stalled.