North Korea Launches Nuclear-Capable Cruise Missiles Ahead of Trump’s Asia Trip

North Korea conducted a provocative test-fire of nuclear-capable sea-to-surface cruise missiles from its western coast Tuesday, state media KCNA reported Wednesday, mere hours before US President Donald Trump's arrival in South Korea for high-stakes Asia summits. The vertically launched missiles flew over two hours into the Yellow Sea, overseen by top military official Pak Jong Chon, who hailed the exercise as a key advancement in Pyongyang's "nuclear forces" for war deterrence—marking the regime's second major weapons display this month after last week's hypersonic barrage.

Notably, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un was absent from the launch, a departure from his typical oversight of significant tests, and went unmentioned in KCNA's coverage, fueling speculation amid heightened regional tensions. The timing appears calculated to underscore North Korea's military resolve just as Trump touches down in Busan for bilateral talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and a pivotal Thursday meeting with China's Xi Jinping at the Gyeongju APEC forum, where a US-China trade truce hangs in the balance.

Trump, undeterred upon disembarking Air Force One, dismissed the missile stunt to reporters, insisting his focus remains on economic diplomacy: "We're here for big wins with our allies—Pyongyang can wait." Yet the test serves as a stark reminder of unresolved Korean flashpoints, especially as Trump has reiterated his eagerness for a DMZ reunion with Kim—their first since the 2019 border walk—floating discussions on sanctions relief. Pyongyang has offered no public reply to the overture, leaving Seoul officials bracing for potential escalations.

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South Korea and US forces swiftly detected the launch, with joint chiefs vowing a "dominant response" to any provocation while analyzing trajectories for strategic insights. Analysts view the display as a direct message to "enemies" in Washington and beyond, reinforcing denuclearization's off-limits status and testing Trump's Asia pivot amid trade wars and alliance strains.

As global markets eye the Trump-Xi encounter for tariff relief signals, North Korea's aerial flex adds nuclear undercurrents to the diplomatic high-wire act, with experts warning it could complicate US efforts to rally regional unity against Pyongyang's arsenal buildup.

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