North Korea conducted a missile test hours before Trump's visit to South Korea

(Patria) - North Korea tested cruise missiles from its west coast in a message to Pyongyang's "enemies", state media reported on Wednesday, just hours before US President Donald Trump was to begin his visit to South Korea, AFP reported.

The sea-to-ground missiles were launched vertically on Tuesday from the Yellow Sea and flew for more than two hours, the state news agency KCNA reported.

High-ranking military official Pak Jong Chon oversaw the test and said "important successes" were being achieved in the development of "nuclear forces" as a means of deterring war, KCNA reported. The goal of the test was to assess the "reliability of various strategic offensive means and impress our enemies with our capabilities," Pak said.

Leader Kim Jong Un, who usually oversees important missile launches, was not present at the test. Trump said he "would like to meet" Kim this week during his first visit to the Korean Peninsula in his second term.
Kim expressed openness to talks if the United States abandons its "delusional" demand that Pyongyang give up its nuclear weapons.

The two leaders last met in 2019 in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the Cold War border that has divided North and South Korea for decades.

North Korea has not yet publicly responded to the invitation. Kim was not mentioned by KCNA in a report on last week's test launch of several hypersonic missiles.