North Korea says it staged a strategic cruise missile launch drill on Thursday.

The country's ruling Workers' Party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on Friday that a strategic cruise missile unit of the Korean People's Army fired four strategic cruise missiles from North Hamgyong Province in the country's northeast.

It is the fourth time this year that the North has launched missiles.

The cruise missiles reportedly hit the "preset target" on the Sea of Japan after traveling the "2,000 kilometer-long elliptical and eight-shaped flight orbits" for about two hours and fifty minutes.

The newspaper said one objective of the drill was to examine the rapid response posture of strategic cruise missile units. It said the units constitute one major part of North Korea's nuclear deterrent.

It added that the launching drill successfully achieved its objective.

The paper also said that the country has been bolstering its "nuclear counterattack capability against the hostile forces." This appears to highlight North Korea's confrontational stance toward the United States and South Korea, which continue to conduct joint military exercises.