SEOUL (REUTERS, AFP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the testing of a newly developed tactical weapon, calling it “another display of our rapidly-growing defence capabilities to the whole region", North Korean state media said on Friday (Nov 16).

"This result today is a justification of the party’s policy focused on defence science and technology, another display of our rapidly growing defence capabilities to the whole region, and a groundbreaking change in strengthening our military’s combat capabilities,” Mr Kim said.

KCNA said the test was successful. Mr Kim said that the weapons system tested was one that his father, Kim Jong Il, was especially interested during his lifetime and led the development of personally.

The report was the first mention by the North's state media of a new development in weapons in months.

North Korea has not tested a nuclear weapon or ballistic missile since last year. In public, Kim has focused almost entirely on visits to economic rather than military projects.

"The state-of-the art weapon that has been long developed under the leadership of our party's dynamic leadership has a meaning of completely safeguarding our territory and significantly improving the combat power of our people's army," Yonhap cited North Korea’s Korea Central Broadcasting Station (KCBS) as reporting.

This is Kim's first field visit to a testing site since his unprecedented summit with United States President Donald Trump in June, when the two leaders agreed to work towards denuclearisation and peace on the Korean peninsula, and to establish new relations between the United States and North Korea.

The agreement was short on specifics, and negotiations have made little headway since, however.

A US State Department spokesman said on Thursday that the United States remains confident that promises made by President Trump and Mr Kim at their Singapore summit will be fulfilled, despite the weapons test.

“At the Singapore Summit, President Trump and Chairman Kim made a number of commitments regarding final, fully verified denuclearisation and creating a brighter future for North Korea,” the US statement said.

“We are talking with the North Koreans about implementing all of those commitments,” it continued. “The President has made clear that if Kim Jong Un denuclearises, there is a bright future for North Korea.”

“We remain confident that the promises made by President Trump and Chairman Kim will be fulfilled,” the spokesman said in a statement.