North Korea conducts test fires of new 'long-range cruise missile'
North Korea has successfully carried out test fires of a new "long-range cruise missile", its first hits since March.
AP
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Pyongyang successfully carried out test fire of a new "
long-range cruise missile
" over the weekend, its first shots since March, the official KCNA news agency said on Monday.
This aroused the concern of Tokyo and Washington in the face of "
threats
" on the neighbors of the country of Kim Jong-un.
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"
This activity underlines the continued development by North Korea of its nuclear program and the threats that this poses to its neighbors and the international community
," the Pentagon reacted in a statement.
The previous North Korean shootings in March in the Sea of Japan had already been interpreted as a sign of challenge to the administration of US President Joe Biden, in place since January.
The missiles, of which KCNA has published photos, traveled a path of 1,500 kilometers, before reaching their target, not specified by the agency, which celebrates "strategic weapons of great importance".
These long-range cruise missiles, if confirmed, would represent a technological breakthrough for North Korea, analysts said.
The South Korean military, which is usually the first source of information on North Korean fire, did not confirm the fire at first.
"
Our soldiers are carrying out a detailed analysis, in close cooperation with South Korean and American intelligence
," the army in Seoul cautiously reacted.
►
To read also: According to the IAEA, North Korea seems to have restarted a nuclear reactor producing plutonium
A missile which "
represents a considerable threat
"
As it is described, this missile "
represents a considerable threat
", worries Park Won-gon, specialist in North Korea at Ewha Womans University, questioned by AFP.
"
If the North has sufficiently miniaturized the heads of its nuclear missiles, they can also be loaded on cruise missiles
", he speculates, fearing new tests, "
very likely
".
"
The effectiveness of this weapon system has confirmed its excellence
", boasts the official North Korean agency, celebrating a "
weapon of deterrence
" intended to "counter the military maneuvers of hostile forces".
The resumption of test firing is a response to joint exercises by the South Korean and US armies last month, Park Won-gon believes.
The Pyongyang maneuver also comes days after South Korea announced a test launch of a strategic sea-to-surface ballistic missile (MSBS) of its own manufacture.
Jeffrey Lewis, of the Middlebury Institute for International Studies, is also worried about a new type of missile capable of reaching targets in South Korea and Japan: “
It's a new system, made to go under radar. missile defense.
"
►
To read also: Korea: Seoul and Pyongyang initiate a rapprochement by restoring their communications
The concern of the Japanese government, the repeated support of the Americans
The Japanese government said it was "
worried
" on Monday, through government spokesperson Katsunobu Kato.
Tokyo, he added, will continue to work closely with Washington and Seoul to monitor developments.
The United States "will continue to monitor the situation and will consult closely with our allies and partners", confirmed the Pentagon The American power reiterated its commitment, "
resistant to any test
", to defend South Korea and Japan against Pyongyang.
Nearly 28,500 American soldiers are stationed in the south of the Korean peninsula.
Several United Nations Security Council resolutions prohibit North Korea from continuing its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
But although hit by multiple international sanctions, the country led by Kim Jong-un has rapidly developed its military capabilities in recent years.
►
To read: "A marriage of convenience": Beijing and Pyongyang want to strengthen ties against Washington
(With
AFP
and
Reuters)
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