North Korea says it tested cluster-armed missiles in latest launches

North Korea said it had tested several new weapons systems in recent missile launches this week, including ballistic missiles equipped with cluster munitions, state news agency KCNA reported on Thursday.

The report also said Pyongyang had tested carbon-fiber bombs and electromagnetic weapons designed to disable electrical infrastructure, such as power supplies. The claims could not be independently verified.

On Wednesday, South Korea's military said it had detected multiple launches from North Korea, including short-range ballistic missiles that flew about 240 to 700 kilometres. UN Security Council resolutions prohibit North Korea from launching ballistic missiles.

Cluster munitions are weapons that disperse multiple smaller explosives over a wide area and are widely condemned due to their impact on civilians and the high rate of unexploded ordnance. A legally binding international convention banning their use entered into force in 2010, though North Korea is not a party.

Separately, China said its Foreign Minister Wang Yi would visit North Korea starting on Thursday, adding that Beijing was willing to deepen exchanges with Pyongyang.