North korea: North Korea has conducted another test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from the destroyer Choe Hyon, state media reported Wednesday, as South Korea and the United States began their annual springtime military drills. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observed the test via video Tuesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

According to Yonhap News Agency, North Korea conducted a similar strategic cruise missile test from the destroyer last week ahead of its commissioning. "He stressed that the DPRK's offensive weapon systems undergoing constant development constitute an indispensable factor for self-defense literally," the KCNA said, using the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The missile test came as Seoul and Washington kicked off Exercise Freedom Shield Monday for an 11-day run. The North has long denounced the allies' military drills as a rehearsal for an invasion.