N Korea says missile test was warning to South 'warmongers'

North Korea's test of a new missile is meant as a "solemn warning" over rival South Korea's weapons development and plans to hold military drills with the United States, Pyongyang said Friday as it continued its pressure campaign ahead of potential nuclear talks.

South Korea's military later said that the flight data of the weapon launched Thursday showed similarities to the Russian-made Iskander, a short-range, nuclear-capable missile. A North Korean version could likely reach all of South Korea and the 28,500 US forces stationed there and would be extremely hard to intercept.

The North Korean statement was carried in state media and directed at "South Korean military warmongers."
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo played down Thursday's launches and said in an interview with Bloomberg TV that working-level talks with North Korea could start "in a couple weeks."
The North Korean statement was gloating at times, saying the weapons test "must have given uneasiness and agony to some targeted forces enough as it intended."
It also accused South Korea of introducing "ultramodern offensive weapons."
Earlier Friday, the South Korean-US combined forces command issued a statement saying the launches "were not a threat directed at (South Korea) or the U.S., and have no impact on our defense posture."