North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un with his army. Photo: STR/ KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/Getty Images
North Korean state news agency KCNA says leader Kim Jong-un "expressed satisfaction" after overseeing the test-fire of a newly developed large-caliber multiple rocket launcher system.
The big picture: KCNA's report on Thursday morning local time contradicts South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff's assessment that Pyongyang had fired 2 short-range ballistic missiles off its eastern coast in the incident early Wednesday.
Why it matters: This was the second such test in a week. President Trump has repeatedly downplayed North Korea's missile tests since meeting Kim last month. Pyongyang is angry over planned U.S.-South Korean military drills and may be trying to press the United States for negotiation concessions, AP notes.
What they're saying: National Security Adviser John Bolton told Fox Business' " Lou Dobbs Tonight," "The firing of these missiles don’t violate the pledge that Kim Jong-un made to the president about intercontinental-range ballistic missiles."
Go deeper: Ignoring North Korean missile tests could hamper nuclear talks