North Korea test-fires cruise missiles ahead of Trump's South Korea visit: Will US President meet Kim Jong Un at APEC?

North Korea said on Wednesday it fired sea-to-surface cruise missiles into its western waters, in a show of force as US President Donald Trump travels to South Korea for a regional summit.

The tests came as Pyongyang deepens military ties with Russia and continues to reject nuclear talks with Washington, France 24 reported. South Korea’s military didn’t immediately confirm whether it had detected the tests.

‘Cruise missiles test a success’

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency described Tuesday's tests as a success. The cruise missiles were fired vertically and flew for more than two hours before accurately striking targets.

KCNA claimed that the weapons would contribute to expanding the operational sphere of the country's nuclear-armed military.

South Korea's military didn't immediately confirm whether it had detected the tests.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was not in attendance, according to KCNA.

The report, however, informed that the tests were attended by senior military official Pak Jong Chon, who also inspected training for sailors aboard North Korea's newly developed destroyers Choe Hyon and Kang Kon, which leader Kim Jong Un has described as key assets in his efforts to strengthen the navy.

Ballistic missile tests last week

North Korea's latest launches followed short-range ballistic missile tests last week that it said involved a new hypersonic system designed to strengthen its nuclear war deterrent.

The missile, North Korea had said, involved a new hypersonic system designed to strengthen its nuclear war deterrent.

South Korea’s military had then said it had detected multiple short-range ballistic missiles that were launched from an area south of Pyongyang and flew about 350 kilometers (220 miles) toward the northeast.

Trump wants to meet Kim Jong Un

The North Korean report came hours before an expected summit between Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the city of Gyeongju, where South Korea is hosting this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings.

Trump is due to arrive in the South Korean city of Gyeongju on Wednesday to join other heads of state and business leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum for various summits and meetings.

Besides, Trump reportedly expressed interest in meeting with Kim Jong Un during his stay in South Korea. However, South Korean officials said a Trump–Kim meeting is unlikely, according to the Associated Press.

Trump is also scheduled to hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping there.

North Korea has shunned any form of talks with Washington and Seoul since Kim's high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with Trump fell apart in 2019 during the American president's first term.

Kim's top foreign policy priority is now Russia.

In recent months, he has sent thousands of troops and large quantities of military equipment to help fuel President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, while embracing the idea of a “new Cold War” and positions his country as part of a united front against the US-led West.

Last month, Kim reiterated he wouldn't return to talks with the United States unless Washington drops its demand for North Korea's denuclearisation, after Trump repeatedly expressed his hopes for new diplomacy.

(With inputs from AP)