North Korea fired another missile.

The Rodong Sinmun reported that a 'new tactical guided weapon test-fire' was conducted under the observation of General Secretary Kim Jong-un, and the test-fire was successful.

North Korea's missile launch appears to have taken place yesterday (16th), as sympathy for General Secretary Kim Jong-un usually comes a day later.



North Korea introduced the missile this time, saying, "It has great significance in dramatically improving the firepower striking power of the front-line long-range artillery units and strengthening the effectiveness of North Korea's tactical nuclear operation and the diversification of firepower missions."

He also said that General Secretary Kim gave "strong teachings on further strengthening the country's defense and nuclear warfare force while clarifying the Party Central Committee's plan for strengthening the national defense force."



Joint Chiefs of Staff, belatedly announced


Shortly after the news of North Korea's missile launch was reported, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff announced to reporters that it was confirmed this morning (17th).

Usually, when North Korea launches a ballistic missile, it is disclosed immediately, but this time, it was announced a day later.



According to the announcement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea fired two projectiles into the East Sea from the Hamhung area around 6 pm yesterday (16th), and it was estimated that the projectiles had an altitude of about 25 km, a flight distance of 110 km, and a maximum speed of Mach 4.0.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff explained that immediately after the launch, the military, intelligence agencies, and the National Security Office held an emergency meeting to evaluate the situation and discuss countermeasures.



The military authorities are currently analyzing the missiles launched by North Korea, and it is known that the previously launched North Korean version of the Iskander or North Korean version of the Atakims missile may have been fired with a lower output, but it is also known that there is a possibility that it may be a newly developed missile. I lost.

Accurate evaluation of this part seems to take a little longer.



Emphasis on tactical nuclear power in front artillery units


However, there is something we should pay attention to in the contents of North Korea's announcement.



North Korea announced that the 'new tactical guided weapon system' launched this time will dramatically improve the firepower strike power of the long-range artillery units on the front line and strengthen the effectiveness of North Korea's tactical nuclear operation.

A front-line long-range artillery unit refers to artillery units targeting South Korea across the ceasefire line, and tactical nuclear operation means the use of nuclear weapons that can be used in war with South Korea. This is an explicit statement that the focus was on the operation of a nuclear missile.



If you look at the specifications of the North Korean missile disclosed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at an altitude of 25 km and a flight distance of 110 km, it is possible to strike the metropolitan area even if the missile is fired from the north, which is not far from the ceasefire line.

Since the distance from the armistice line to Pyongyang is about 140 km, it means that artillery units located far below Pyongyang can hit the metropolitan area with the missiles fired this time.

If the missiles launched this time are deployed, North Korean artillery units near the ceasefire line will be able to threaten the metropolitan area with nuclear missiles.



Explicit intensification of the nuclear threat to South Korea


In a statement by Kim Yo-jong on the 5th, North Korea explicitly threatened South Korea that if there was a military confrontation between the two Koreas, North Korea would use nuclear weapons.

He also argued that nuclear weapons would be used from the beginning to seize the lead in war, and that the South Korean military would "have to face a horrific fate close to annihilation and annihilation."



North Korea's missile launch appears to be an outright test of nuclear missile development against South Korea.

There have been investigations that they will not use nuclear weapons against their own people, but North Korea is increasingly blatantly blatantly threatening to threaten South Korea.



(Photo=Pyongyang Chosun Central News Agency, Yonhap News)