North Korea fired a new round of short-range projectiles on Tuesday, South Korean officials said, only hours after it signalled a new willingness to resume stalled denuclearisation talks with the United States in late September.

Kim, who had guided the testing of the same multiple rocket launcher before, said its capabilities have been “finally verified in terms of combat operation,” and what remains to be done with the rocket launcher is a “running fire test,” KCNA said, without elaborating on what the test would entail.

Kim ordered future tasks and ways to “steadily” attain cutting-edge national defence to officials that had joined him, including senior officials such as his sister Kim Yo Jong, KCNA said.