North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported the successful trial of a military system overseen by leader Kim Jong Un on September 22. The development follows multiple short range ballistic missile launches toward the Sea of Japan on September 20, during which Pyongyang fired two projectiles within a 3 hour window.

The U.S. Pacific Command is consulting with regional allies after the weapons displays, which occurred shortly after Pyongyang reaffirmed its status as a nuclear-armed state. Japan's Defense Ministry monitored the earlier flight paths, and the Prime Minister's Office issued an emergency alert when a ballistic missile flew east of the Korean Peninsula.