North Korea: North Korea claims to have tested a new type of cruise missile for the first time as it works to bolster its military might.
The Pulhwasal-3-31 missile is still in the development stage, according to a report published on Thursday by the official Korean Central News Agency. The term “strategic” suggests that the missile will eventually be equipped with nuclear weapons.
“The test-fire had no impact on the security of neighbouring countries and has nothing to do with the regional situation,” it said.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea announced on Wednesday morning that it had seen the firing of “several” cruise missiles from the western coast of North Korea.
The launch came after Pyongyang’s first solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile test-firing five days earlier, on January 19, and the test of an underwater attack drone with nuclear capability, according to the JCS, which said it was analysing the launch.
On Thursday, it said it thought the launch was a test of upgrades to existing missiles’ capabilities. In September 2021, North Korea conducted its first-ever test of a strategic cruise missile.
In recent months, tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated due to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s persistent pursuit of weapons development and his bellicose threats of nuclear war against the US and its regional allies.
North Korea’s cruise missiles are part of an expanding arsenal intended to overwhelm South Korea’s and Japan’s missile defences. Cruise missiles are typically jet-propelled, fly at a lower altitude, and are more difficult to detect and intercept than ballistic missiles.
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