North Korea yesterday fired what appeared to be multiple short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, South Korea’s military said yesterday, possibly to test the performance and stability of various projectiles intended for export.
The missiles were launched from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan at about 8:10am and flew up to 800km before splashing down in the sea, the military said in a statement.
South Korea is closely communicating with the US and Japan to share information about the launch, it added.
Photo: AFP
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the three countries’ nuclear envoys consulted by telephone and condemned it as a violation of UN sanctions.
South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Lee Sung-jun declined to comment on the exact number of missiles detected or their characteristics, but told reporters the launch might have been to test the performance of missiles intended for export.
Hong Min, A North Korea analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said they were likely two types of short-range ballistic missiles that had been supplied to Russia, which used them to strike Ukraine.
“There is considerable amount of field data of these two missiles collected, and it’s possible additional testing was needed to improve issues reported from the battlefield such as durability and precision,” Hong said.
Tokyo also said it detected a launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea, which might have flown on a irregular trajectory.
The launch came about a week after leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the test-firing of a new warship weapons system.
Pyongyang unveiled the 5,000-tonne destroyer-class vessel Choe Hyon last month. North Korea claims the vessel was equipped with the “most powerful weapons,” and that it would “enter into operation early next year.”
Some analysts have said the ship could be equipped with short-range tactical nuclear missiles — although North Korea has not proven it has the ability to miniaturize its nukes. The South Korean military has said the destroyer could have been developed with Russian help — possibly in exchange for Pyongyang deploying thousands of troops to help Moscow fight Kyiv.
Additional reporting by AFP
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