SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Monday that it had conducted a joint live-fire drill involving missiles, artillery and drones that it claimed demonstrated “huge destructive power.”
\n\nThe test included firing different types of weapons simultaneously, most likely aiming at developing the ability to overwhelm South Korean and U.S. air defenses.
\n\nExperts say North Korea is not slowing its testing activities even after U.S. President Donald Trump recently scaled back a military exercise with South Korea in an apparent effort to revive diplomacy with leader Kim Jong Un.
\n\nTrump on canceled military exercises with South Korea
\n\nThe North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday’s drill was meant to practice the operations of an integrated weapons control system. South Korea’s military earlier said it detected short-range ballistic missile launches from North Korea’s eastern coastal Wonsan area on Saturday morning.
\n\nAfter observing the firing drill, North Korean Marshal Pak Jong Chon said the drill would “improve the level of specialization to bring down the enemy’s armed forces organizationally and structurally once an order is issued.” He added that the weapons systems mobilized demonstrated “the huge destructive power of concentrated fire,” according to KCNA.
\n\nIt is extremely difficult to independently verify…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/