North Korea's foreign ministry vowed the "toughest counteraction" against the United States as long as Washington "refuses" the country's sovereignty.

The action suggested North Korea will likely maintain its its confrontational stance against the U.S. for now, even though President Donald Trump said he intends to reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looks on during the test of what KCNA described as a strategic cruise missile, at an undisclosed location, January 25, 2025, in this photo released January 26, 2025. KCNA via REUTERS SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea conducted a strategic cruise missile test on Saturday,

North Korea test-fired strategic cruise missiles on Saturday the official Korean Central News Agency reported, marking a third launch this month as Donald Trump returned to power in the US.

North Korea has carried out its first weapons test since the inauguration of US President Donald Trump on 20 January. The test involved what Pyongyang described as "strategic" cruise missiles, a term often associated with nuclear-capable weaponry.

SEOUL: North Korea said on Sunday it tested a cruise missile system, its third known weapons display this year, and vowed "the toughest" response to what it called the escalation of US-South Korean military drills that target the North.