N. Korea's Kim oversees intermediate-range missile launch, calls for bolstering war deterrent

SEOUL, Oct. 4 - North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un personally supervised the launch of an intermediate-range strategic missile on Saturday morning, according to state media. The missile was fired toward the East Sea in a drill aimed at training missile troops to operate the hypersonic strategic weapon system, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

Kim emphasized that developing the country's strategic weapons is "indispensable" for safeguarding national security and stability in the current geopolitical climate. He urged continuous and relentless efforts to demonstrate the reliability and potency of the nation's strategic offensive capabilities, describing missile launches as a means of exercising deterrence.

The missile reportedly reached a target 1,000 kilometers away from the East Sea. South Korean military officials had earlier detected North Korea's ballistic missile firing from the Wonsan region, with the missile covering a distance of over 700 kilometers. Just hours after the launch, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of Kim Jong-un, stated that South Korean and Japanese military tracking systems had failed to accurately trace the missile's trajectory due to their tracking limitations.