North Korea conducted test of upgraded rocket launcher system, KCNA says

On Tuesday, North Korea carried out a test of an upgraded 240mm guided multiple rocket launcher system, according to the state news agency KCNA. The test, which was reported on Thursday, aimed to showcase the enhanced accuracy and range of the rockets, which utilize an autonomous precision guidance system. The rockets have the capability to hit targets 100 km away in a trajectory flight mode and 115 km in a combined glide mode, according to KCNA.

The development of this advanced rocket system underscores North Korea's commitment to bolstering its firepower along the border with South Korea. Vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, Pak Jong-chon, emphasized the importance of concentrating the most lethal and destructive attack forces on the southern border.

Meanwhile, South Korea's Defense Ministry has not yet commented on the matter. However, the utilization of a precision guidance system suggests that North Korea may be able to strike key facilities within the Seoul metropolitan area with a margin of error of just a few meters, according to Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. This potential capability poses a threat to South Korea's heavily populated capital, potentially instilling fear in the country's residents.

In June, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had overseen tests of key weapons, including an upgraded rocket launcher and tactical missiles, which North Korea claimed would also be used for defense along the southern border. Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui stated that North Korea's nuclear weapons status was now irreversible, and the country would only become more resolute following recent reaffirmations from the United States, South Korea, and Japan at a trilateral meeting.