N Korea test-fires long-range cruise missiles in waters off eastern coast

North Korea on Friday said it test-fired long-range cruise missiles in waters off its eastern coast a day earlier, adding to a provocative streak in weapons demonstrations as its rivals step up military training.

The launches came as the United States and South Korea held a simulated military exercise in Washington, DC, aimed at sharpening their response to North Korean nuclear threats.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said that Thursday's launches were aimed at verifying the reliability of the missiles and the rapid-response capabilities of the unit that operates those weapons.

The agency said the exercise involved four missiles, which flew for nearly three hours, drawing oval and figure-eight shaped patterns above the sea, and showed that they can hit targets 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) away.

North Korea first tested a long-range cruise missile system in September 2021 and has since described those weapons as strategic, wording that implies they are being ...