{"id":42777,"date":"2018-11-16T01:08:55","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T01:08:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/11\/16\/north-korea-says-it-has-tested-new-high-tech-tactical-weapon\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:49:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:49:24","slug":"north-korea-says-it-has-tested-new-high-tech-tactical-weapon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/11\/16\/north-korea-says-it-has-tested-new-high-tech-tactical-weapon\/","title":{"rendered":"North Korea says it has tested \u2018ultramodern tactical weapon\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SEOUL, South Korea \u2014 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed the successful test of \u201ca newly developed ultramodern tactical weapon,\u201d the nation\u2019s state media reported Friday, though it didn\u2019t describe what sort of weapon it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It didn\u2019t appear to be a nuclear or missile-related test<\/a>, a string of which last year had many fearing war before the North turned to engagement and diplomacy early this year. Still, any mention of weapons testing could influence the direction of currently stalled diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang that\u2019s meant to rid the North of its nuclear weapons<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The North hasn\u2019t publicly tested any weapons since November of last year, but in recent days Pyongyang reportedly expressed anger at South Korea\u2019s resumption of small-scale military drills<\/a> with the United States, and Friday\u2019s announcement could be in response to those drills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if the test was a message for Washington and Seoul, Friday’s report from the North was noticeably less belligerent than past announcements of weapons tests, and didn’t focus on North Korean claims of U.S. and South Korean hostility.<\/p>\n\n\n\t