North Korea conducted a test firing of an upgraded 240mm guided multiple rocket launcher system on Tuesday, according to a report from the state news agency KCNA. The test aimed to showcase the improved capabilities of the weapon, which is intended to enhance North Korea’s firepower along its southern border with South Korea.

KCNA highlighted the accuracy and increased range of the rockets, which use an autonomous precision guidance system. The report stated that the launcher can strike targets up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) away when fired in a trajectory flight mode, and up to 115 kilometers in a combined glide mode. The development of these longer-range, more precise rockets is described as a significant change in the readiness of North Korea’s firepower in the area.

Pak Jong-chon, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, supervised the test and emphasized the importance of concentrating powerful and destructive forces along the southern border. The test follows a series of military upgrades by Pyongyang aimed at bolstering its tactical and conventional weapons near the border with South Korea.

South Korea’s Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the test. However, analysts noted the potential security implications. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, said the use of a precision guidance system suggests that North Korea could strike key facilities in the Seoul metropolitan area with a margin of error of just a few meters. Lim added that this capability could pose a serious threat irrespective of South Korea’s military posture and might be intended as a means of exerting psychological pressure on the South.

This latest test follows several weapon trials overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June, which included upgraded rocket launchers and tactical missiles also said to be designed for defense along the southern border.

In a related development, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui reaffirmed the country’s position on its nuclear arsenal, describing its nuclear weapons status as irreversible. Choe stated that Pyongyang would become more resolute following a recent trilateral meeting of the United States, South Korea, and Japan, where the three countries reiterated their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea.