Kim Jong-Un has voiced his “great satisfaction” over the latest test of a “super large” multiple-rocket launcher system.
Experts warned the new short-range missiles, with a demonstrated range of nearly 250 miles, posed a direct threat to South Korea and US forces stationed there. They appeared capable of firing 30ft missiles every 30 seconds.
North Korea fired two short-range projectiles into the sea off its east coast yesterday in the fourth test of its new “super-large multiple-rocket launcher”, according to South Korea.
The latest test of the so-called KN-25 missile came as a Thanksgiving Day reminder to the US of an end-of-year deadline that Kim had set for Washington to revive denuclearisation talks.
The series of tests since the KN-25 was first unveiled in August appear to show the North Koreans steadily improving their ability to quickly fire multiple rockets from launch vehicles.
That capability makes it more likely that in case of a war, rocket crews could speedily deploy, fire and move before being targeted by South Korean or American forces, experts say. In the first two KN-25 tests in August and September, missiles were fired 17 minutes and 19 minutes apart, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) told a briefing. By the end of October crews had narrowed that interval to three minutes, while yesterday the gap between the two missiles was only about 30 seconds.
The North’s news agency KCNA said: “The volley test-fire aimed to finally examine the combat application of the super-large multiple-launch rocket system and proved the military and technical superiority of the weapon system and its firm reliability.”
Photos released by KCNA showed missiles being fired from a transporter-launcher equipped with four tubes.
The missiles travelled up to 236 miles and reached an altitude of 60 miles, according to the JCS, putting nearly all of South Korea within range.
A spokesman at Seoul’s Unification Ministry, in charge of inter-Korean affairs, today urged the North to cease acts that may heighten military tension and return to dialogue. South Korean politicians today said an intelligence agency reported increased movement in vehicles and equipment at the Tongchangri missile launch site that Pyongyang said it had demolished last year.
North Korea has demanded biting sanctions be lifted and warned it could take a “new path”.
