North Korea says it conducted intermediate-range strategic missile drill

North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile in a test overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, state media KCNA reported on Sunday.



KCNA said the missile was launched on Saturday from eastern North Korea and hit a target 1,000 km (621 miles) in the sea off the country's east coast. It said the drill was intended to train troops operating a hypersonic strategic weapon system and to assess the reliability, efficiency and mobility of the

country's war deterrent.



The launch was the latest in a series of North Korean weapons tests this year and came as tensions on the Korean peninsula escalated over a landmine blast in the Demilitarized Zone last month that wounded South Korean soldiers.