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North Korea says it tested new rocket launcher system

This undated picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 26, 2017 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) attending the combined fire demonstration.
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

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