North Korea missile launch hints at upgraded weapons exports to Russia for Ukraine war
North Korea’s recent missile launch may be a test of upgraded exports to Russia, observers say, as the war in Ukraine gives Pyongyang opportunities to improve its weapons. At about 6am on Wednesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) detected a missile launched from the North’s southeastern port city of Wonsan. It flew roughly 700km (435 miles) eastward before falling into the Sea of…
North Korea launched a missile from its southeastern port city of Wonsan on Wednesday, approximately 6am. The missile traveled around 700km eastward before landing in the Sea of Japan. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) detected the launch but did not specify its launch angle or range. Further analysis is required to determine the missile's type.
The JCS stated that South Korea, the US, and Japan were closely monitoring the situation, maintaining a robust defense posture. This launch, occurring six days after a similar short-range missile launch, raises questions about whether it was successful or a prototype. North Korea operates KN-23 missiles with a maximum range of 700-800km, and recently unveiled the Hwasong-11MA, a hypersonic missile modeled after Russia's Iskander-M system.
The missile recently tested might be an attempt to improve existing weapons or develop a new type, according to Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU).
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
