North Korea said Thursday it had tested upgraded guided rockets with the range to reach Seoul, as a senior military official called for concentrating the country's most destructive weapons along its border.

SEOUL, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- North Korea said Thursday it had tested upgraded guided rockets with the range to reach Seoul, as a senior military official called for concentrating the country's most destructive weapons along its border with South Korea.

The test of 240mm rockets took place Tuesday as part of a five-year plan to modernize the North's artillery and missile forces, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported. Equipped with what KCNA called an "autonomous pinpoint guide system," the rockets can travel 62 miles on a standard flight path or 71 miles using a "combined glide mode."

Seoul, home to about 9.6 million people, lies roughly 30 miles from the border. The capital and its densely populated surrounding region have long been vulnerable to North Korea's artillery and rocket forces.

Tuesday's test "proved the hit accuracy and superiority of the range-extended rockets," KCNA said. Military officials who oversaw it said the weapons would bring a "significant change in the firepower readiness along the southern border."

Pak Jong Chon, vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Military Commission, stressed "the need to concentrate the deadliest and destructive attack forces on southern border," according to KCNA. He also urged the military to replace its long-range strike weapons with the latest systems as soon as possible.

The test extends a push to strengthen the North's conventional firepower near South Korea. In June, leader Kim Jong Un inspected new rocket launcher shells and other weapons and described their development as part of a plan to change the military's fire posture along the southern border.

Pyongyang has also been physically hardening the border as it recasts its relationship with Seoul. Kim declared the two Koreas "hostile states" in late 2023, and North Korea revised its constitution this year to remove references to reunification. Its troops have since laid mines, erected barriers and reinforced roads inside the Demilitarized Zone.

The rocket test followed another weapons launch over the weekend. State media said Tuesday that Kim had overseen the test of a new weapon system apparently involving an upgraded hypersonic missile.

The tests coincided with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's appeal at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday for a swift resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue. Lee said he hoped talks could lead to discussions on ending the Korean War and establishing a peace regime.

The border buildup has also drawn fresh scrutiny after explosions in the DMZ critically injured two South Korean soldiers Monday. Investigators are examining mine fragments to determine their origin, as speculation grows over potential North Korean involvement. New Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul urged Pyongyang to halt its fortification work and called for a firm response to any provocations.