SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea said Tuesday it had test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying a huge warhead, as the country is pushing to modernize its weapons arsenal to cope with what it calls U.S.-led threats.

North Korea said it successfully tested a new tactical ballistic missile on Monday capable of carrying a 4.5-ton super-large warhead, state news agency KCNA reported on Tuesday. A day earlier, South Korea reported the launch of two ballistic missiles by North Korea and said the second likely failed soon after launch,

North Korea says it has test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying a huge warhead In this photo provided on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech during a meeting of Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea held from June 28 until July 1,