N. Korea says it test
This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Jan. 25, shows the North's first test-firing of new Pulhwasal-3-31 strategic cruise missiles the previous day. Yonhap
North Korea said Thursday it test-fired a new strategic cruise missile, named "Pulhwasal-3-31," for the first time the previous day in what was seen as an effort to strengthen capabilities to deliver nuclear weapons.
The North's Missile General Bureau said the test-fire is a "process of constant updating of the weapon system and a regular and obligatory activity of the agency and its affiliated defense science institutes," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The report did not provide details, such as how far the missile flew.
South Korea's military had said Wednesday the North fired several cruise missiles toward the Yellow Sea at 7 a.m., but gave no further details, including the distances they flew.
It marked the North's first known cruise missile launch since September last year, when the country launched two long-range strategic cruise missiles with mock nuclear warheads toward the Yellow Sea. At that time, Pyongyang said the missiles traveled 1,500-kilometer-long eight-shaped flight orbits.
The North's leader Kim Jong-un, center, at a key munitions factory during an inspection tour on Jan. 8-9, calling South Korea the North's "principle enemy," in this photo carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Jan. 10. Yonhap
The North first test-fired the Hwasal-1 cruise missile in September 2021 and launched several Hwasal-1 and -2 cruise missiles presumed to be capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons last year.
Hwasal means an arrow in Korean, and Pulhwasal means a fire arrow.
Cruise missiles fly low and maneuver, making them better at evading missile defenses.
Russia's top diplomat accuses US, S. Korea and Japan of preparing for war with NK 2024-01-25 11:28 | World S. Korea begins production of spy drones for NK surveillance 2024-01-25 09:48 | Defense US urges NK to refrain from 'threatening' activity after cruise missile launches 2024-01-25 09:10 | North KoreaThe South Korean military said the North's latest launch appears to be aimed at upgrading the capability of the existing cruise missiles, but did not provide further details.
"The flight distance of North Korea's cruise missiles fired the previous day was shorter compared with previous launches," Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a regular press briefing.
"We detected and tracked the cruise missile launched by North Korea in real-time. It disappeared at the final stage, and further analysis is needed to determine the circumstances surrounding that," he said.
Experts said the Pulhwasal-3-31 is seen as a nuclear-capable weapon, considering that the number in its name is identical to that of the Hwasan-31, a tactical nuclear warhead that North Korea first unveiled in March 2023.
"The number 31 is presumed to be hinting at the power of North Korea's tactical nuclear warhead under development," said Chang Young-keun, head of the missile center at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy.
The launch of a cruise missile is not a direct violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions banning the North's use of ballistic missile technology. But it could pose a serious threat to South Korea's security as nuclear warheads can be mounted on such missiles.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for an "exponential" increase in the country's nuclear arsenal and the development of tactical nuclear weapons against South Korea.
The latest provocation came after North Korea launched a solid-fuel hypersonic missile into the East Sea on Jan. 14 in its first missile firing this year.
Pyongyang also claimed last week it had tested an underwater nuclear attack drone in protest of the latest joint military drills among South Korea, the United States and Japan.
North Korea has dialed up tensions on the Korean Peninsula with weapons tests and hard-worded rhetoric in an election year for South Korea and the U.S.
During a year-end party meeting, Kim Jong-un defined inter-Korean ties as relations between "two states hostile to each other" and vowed to "suppress" the whole territory of South Korea in the event of a contingency.
At a key parliamentary meeting last week, Kim called for revising the country's constitution to define South Korea as the North's "primary foe" and announced the country will abandon its decadeslong policy of seeking reconciliation and unification with the South. (Yonhap)
(责任编辑:产品中心)
- Students get free entry at second Rawalpindi Test but what’s the catch?
- Knives out for Klinsmann after S Korea's 'shameful' exit
- Philippines, S. Korea recall cooperation that forged 75 years of ties
- Korea saw historically wet winter: weather agency
- [Graphic News] Average book price nears 20,000 won
- How do you make safe, cheap nuclear reactors? Bury them a mile deep
- Canada issues official "oops" for honoring Nazi soldier in Parliament.
- Djokovic, Nadal to headline 'Six Kings Slam' in Saudi Arabia
- Apple approved a fake 'LastPass Password Manager' app for the App Store
- Gastro Obscura's Guide to Where to Eat in Nashville
- 'Boycott Tesla' ads aired during Super Bowl 2024 spotlight self
- Products recalled overseas being sold in S. Korea: report
- Musokhranov refuses to give up on Olympic dream
-
Which is Faster for Gaming, Windows 10 or Windows 11?
Which is faster for gaming, Windows 10 or Windows 11? That's a question we've noticed people has kep ...[详细] -
泽雍厂房内,工人正在进行设备调试工业经济是县域经济发展的重要引擎。今年7月,省发改委、省自然资源厅等六部门发布《关于公布四川省第二批化工园区的通知》,石棉竹马化工园区正式被纳入四川省化工园区名单。这是 ...[详细]
-
A terrible plan to neutralize Trump has entranced the legal world.
A murder of brilliant and prominent lawyers believe they have found a legal argument to solve the po ...[详细] -
14 Places to Walk in the Footsteps of Dinosaurs
For nearly 200 million years, dinosaurs called every inhabitable part of the globe home, from today& ...[详细] -
'Black Myth: Wukong' PS5 review in progress: A potential masterpiece
Black Myth: Wukongwantsto be the modern action RPG we’ve all been waiting for. It checks all t ...[详细] -
How to watch 'Wonka' at home — streaming release details, Max deals, and more
The best Max streaming subscription deals at a glance:BEST FOR MOST PEOPLEMax (With Ads) annual subs ...[详细] -
本报讯近日,名山区法院执行局干警前往贵州省遵义市习水县成功扣押被执行人一辆汽车,实现对被执行人财产的有效控制,有力维护了申请执行人的合法权益。陈某与李某民间借贷纠纷一案,名山区法院于2020年10月2 ...[详细]
-
N. Korea sends arms to Russia following Kim
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un examine a launch pad of Soyuz ...[详细] -
Wordle today: The answer and hints for August 29
Can't get enough of Wordle? Try Mashable's free version nowOh hey there! If you're here, it must be ...[详细] -
These 23 Trees Have Seen Some Things
Trees, the original skyscrapers, have been our guides since before we were human. They stand tall as ...[详细]
Tesla's big software update includes something called 'Night Curfew'
'Boycott Tesla' ads aired during Super Bowl 2024 spotlight self
- Sports minister says audits into football, badminton federations set to conclude in Sept.
- 14 Places to Explore Viking Lore
- Best Solawave deals: Save 35% off on red light therapy tools
- Slack is about to TL;DR your lengthy work threads
- Top 10 Tech Pranks
- Fruit vendor praised as hero after taking down man wielding knife
- N. Korea touts Kim's leadership on 78th founding anniversary of ruling party