North Korea test-fires new ballistic and strategic missiles
A tactical guided missile is launched, according to state media, at an undisclosed location in North Korea, in this photo released January 17, 2022 (KCNA Photo)
North Korea said Thursday that it test-fired new types of ballistic and strategic cruise missiles, state-run media reported.
The country’s Missile Administration successfully test-fired the new Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5 tactical ballistic missile and an improved strategic cruise missile Wednesday, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
“Its test-fire was aimed at verifying the accuracy of hit at a medium range of 320 kilometers (198 miles) and explosive power of the super-large warhead with a missile loaded with such a warhead,” KCNA said.
Pyongyang also test-fired a strategic cruise missile whose performance has been highly upgraded for combat use, it said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who guided the test fires, said the current political and military situation in the region “indicates that the work for bolstering up the military capability for self-defense should be the most important affair of the country.”
“Only when we have strong power can we contain and frustrate the enemies’ strategic misjudgment and will to use armed forces,” he added.
On Wednesday, South Korea’s military said that North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles in a northeastern direction.
Last week, the Japanese government said that Pyongyang fired several ballistic missiles, which were believed to have landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan, with no damage reported to aircraft or vessels, the first since July 1.
The latest missile launch came after North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui left for an official visit to Russia on Monday.
