North Korea Says It Tested a New Weapon But Won't Say What It Was

Weird flex but okay!

Keep it Vague

North Korea is flexing its muscles. On Thursday, the nation announced that it had test-launched a new "tactical guided weapon" — but kept the details vague.

The weapon is unlikely to be a long-range ballistic missile that could jeopardize peace talks, according to the Associated Press. Rather, given the fact that the announcement came with new demands for ongoing negotiations with the U.S., the tests were likely intended as a display of military strength.

Guessing Game

South Korean experts suspect that the new weapon was some sort of cruise missile, per the AP's attempt to learn more. Had the weapon been a longer-range missile that could pose a threat to the U.S. or other nations, then North Korea may have put at risk its ongoing effort to lift sanctions that other countries have imposed on it.

Rather, Kim Jong-Un called for the U.S. to pull Secretary of State Mike Pompeo out of ongoing disarmament negotiations, accusing him of "talking nonsense" and misinterpreting agreements made between the two countries, the AP reports. The experts' guess: the new weapon test is meant to add a little more gravity to those demands.

READ MORE: NKorea says it tested new weapon, wants Pompeo out of talks [The AP]

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