North Korea test-fired two long-range cruise missiles on Sunday to show its nuclear combat readiness. The missiles flew over the Yellow Sea for more than two hours before hitting their targets, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Leader Kim Jong Un personally watched the drill. KCNA reported Kim was very pleased and said North Korea will keep developing its nuclear forces without limit. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed several cruise missile launches from near Pyongyang at 8:00 am Sunday. South Korea and the United States remain fully prepared to respond to any provocations. North Korea called the launches defensive and said they show the country’s right to self-defense amid external threats. This comes after North Korea showed progress in building its first nuclear-powered submarine, which may carry nuclear missiles. Leader Kim inspected the submarine with top officials and his daughter recently. The timing is key because North Korea is preparing for its Workers’ Party congress early next year, where new policies may be announced. Tensions are high after South Korea’s decision to build a nuclear-powered submarine and the visit of the US nuclear submarine USS Greenville to Busan, both criticized by Pyongyang. Experts say the tested cruise missiles have a 2,000 km range, able to strike the Korean Peninsula and US bases in Japan. While UN rules ban ballistic missile tests by North Korea, cruise missile tests are allowed but remain highly dangerous because they fly low and are hard to detect. The missile test happened after years of stalled talks with the US since 2019. Kim has shown some willingness to talk but may use his growing missile power to gain advantage in future negotiations.