North Korea says missile tests were practice for attacks on South and US

North Korea’s military said on Monday that its recent missile tests were practice to ‘mercilessly’ strike key South Korean and US targets (Ahn Young-joon/AP)

North Korea’s military said on Monday that its recent missile tests were practice to “mercilessly” strike key South Korean and US targets such as air bases and operation command systems with a variety of weapons likely to have included nuclear-capable ones.

The North’s announcement underlined leader Kim Jong Un’s determination not to back down in the face of his rivals’ push to expand their military exercises. But some experts say he also used their drills as an excuse to modernise his nuclear arsenal and increase his leverage in future dealings with Washington and Seoul.