North Korea says it tested a new cruise missile in the latest example of its expanding capabilities

North Korea says it has conducted its first flight test of a new cruise missile, as it expands its military capabilities in the face of tensions with the United States and neighbors

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea said Thursday it conducted its first flight test of a new cruise missile, as it expands its military capabilities in the face of deepening tensions with the United States and neighbors.

The report in state media came a day after South Korea’s military said it detected the North firing several cruise missiles into waters off its western coast. The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not provide more specific assessments, including the number of missiles fired or their flight characteristics.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the Pulhwasal-3-31 missile is still in its development phase and that the launch did not pose a threat to neighbors. It described the missile as “strategic,” implying an intent to arm them with nuclear weapons.

The cruise missile launches were North Korea’s second known launch event of the year, following a Jan. 14 test-firing of the country’s first solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile, which reflected its efforts to advance its lineup of weapons targeting U.S. military bases in Japan and Guam.

North Korea’s cruise missiles are among its growing arsenal of weapons aimed at overwhelming missile defenses in South Korea and Japan. They supplement the country's huge lineup of ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to reach the U.S. mainland.