Pyongyang, November 03 (QNA) - North Korea has tested a dispersal warhead for a strategic cruise missile, state media reported Tuesday, following a recent test of a cluster bomb for ballistic missiles.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the Missile Administration conducted the tests on Monday to assess the warhead's destructive power and the missile's flight characteristics for a vertical strike.

The Warhead Institute of the Missile Administration said the mid-sized dispersal warhead mounted on the cruise missile was capable of turning a target area of five to six hectares into ashes with its highest-density power.

The Cruise Missile System Institute said it had perfected the missile's vertical-strike capability by improving its terminal maneuverability, taking into account the natural and geographical characteristics of the targeted area.

The director of the Missile Administration was quoted as saying that the need to develop a variety of weapons systems had become more pressing than ever, as the armed forces were responsible for defending national security and deterring all forms of threats.

He added that the tests had demonstrated the country's "practical combat power."

North Korea has pledged to field various types of cluster warheads by the end of the year. On Saturday, it tested a cluster bomb designed for tactical ballistic missiles. (QNA)