North's leader Kim Jong-un, right, and his daughter Ju-ae oversee a test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from the destroyer Choe Hyon via video, Tuesday, as seen in this photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen another test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from the Choe Hyon destroyer, state media reported Wednesday, as South Korea and the United States have kicked off their annual springtime military drills.

The North's leader observed the test via video Tuesday, stressing that it is important to maintain and expand a "powerful and reliable nuclear war deterrent," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Photos published by state media showed Kim's daughter Ju-ae overseeing the test.

North Korea conducted a similar strategic cruise missile test from the destroyer last week ahead of its commissioning. Pyongyang's reference to "strategic" weapons suggests that they could have nuclear capabilities.

The latest test-firing came as Seoul and Washington kicked off the Freedom Shield exercise Monday for an 11-day run. The North has long denounced the allies' combined military drills as a rehearsal for an invasion though they said the exercises are defensive in nature.

The KCNA said the launched cruise missiles flew along the flight orbit above the Yellow Sea for 10,116-10,138 seconds and hit designated targets.

"The components of our war deterrent are now being included in the very sophisticated operational system in an effective and accelerated manner continuously, and the country's nuclear forces have made a switch to the phase of multifaceted operation," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA.

Test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from the Choe Hyon destroyer, Tuesday / Yonhap

The North's leader expressed his satisfaction that the test verified the "reliability of the national integrated control system of strategic weapons and superiority of the destroyer's integrated combat system."

He also raised the need to examine the military efficiency of naval automatic guns installed on the warship and presented tasks of strengthening the naval power, the KCNA said.

Source: Korea Times News