North Korea said it test-fired two types of newly developed air-defence missiles on Saturday, with leader Kim Jong Un personally overseeing the launch, according to state-run Korean Central News Agency. The trial was intended to verify the weapons’ “superior combat capability,” including rapid responses against attack drones and cruise missiles, KCNA said. The tests come in the middle of Ulchi Freedom Shield, an 11-day joint U.S.–South Korea military drill that Pyongyang routinely denounces as a rehearsal for invasion. KCNA did not specify the launch site but said senior party and military officials attended and that Kim assigned further tasks to defence scientists ahead of a forthcoming ruling-party meeting. Saturday’s launch adds to a string of weapons demonstrations this year and precedes Monday’s scheduled summit in Washington between U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. Seoul and Washington say their exercises are defensive, while Pyongyang warns it will continue to strengthen its arsenal in response.