North Korea says its test launch of a new type of tactical ballistic missile should serve as a “solemn warning” to South Korea over plans to hold military exercises with the US.
In a statement directed at the “South Korean military warmongers” on state media, Kim Jong-un boasted that Thursday’s test “must have given uneasiness and agony to some targeted forces”.
Kim Jong-un personally supervised the launch of the two missiles, state news agency KCNA said, which according to a joint US-South Korea analysis both flew distances of more than 600km before landing in the Sea of Japan.
Mr Kim said the test was “a solemn warning” and accused South Koreans of “double dealing” for saying they support peace but simultaneously importing new weapons and conducting military drills.
“We cannot but develop non-stop super-powerful weapon systems to remove the potential and direct threats to the security of our country that exist in the south,” Mr Kim was quoted as saying.
An official at Seoul’s defence ministry said the missiles were believed to be a new type of short-range ballistic missile, an assessment echoed on Friday by the US-South Korea Combined Forces Command (CFC).
The official also said the missiles bore features similar to Russia’ SS-26 Iskander and the ones the north tested in May – a relatively small, fast missile that experts say is easier to hide, launch and manoeuvre in flight.
A spokesperson for the CFC said in a statement the launches were “not a threat directed at [South Korea] or the US, and have no impact on our defence posture”.
And while the North Korean statement had harsh words for South Korea, analysts noted it steered clear of the kind of belligerent attacks towards the US that have marked past announcements. This could suggest that the north still wants to keep the prospect of diplomacy alive.
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo played down Thursday’s launches and said in an interview with Bloomberg TV that working-level talks with North Korea could start “in a couple of weeks”.
“Everybody tries to get ready for negotiations and create leverage and create risk for the other side,” Mr Pompeo said of the launches.
Speaking on Fox News, US president Donald Trump insisted he was still getting along “very well” with Mr Kim and played down Thursday’s test.
“They haven’t done nuclear testing. They really haven’t tested missiles other than, you know, smaller ones,” he said.
