Seoul: North Korea has announced the successful execution of a significant test intended to advance its missile technology, specifically focusing on missiles equipped with multiple warheads. The state media agency, KCNA, reported this on Thursday, while South Korea dismissed the claim as a “deception” to obscure a failed launch.
The test, according to North Korea, was conducted on Wednesday and involved the first-stage, solid-fuel engine of an intermediate-range ballistic missile. This announcement followed South Korea’s military observation of what appeared to be a hypersonic missile launched by North Korea, which exploded midair off its east coast.
KCNA reported that the missile successfully separated its warheads, which were then accurately guided to three preset targets. This test aimed to develop Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. “The purpose was to secure the capability to destroy individual targets using multiple warheads,” the agency stated.
However, South Korea’s military countered this claim, stating that a joint analysis by South Korean and U.S. forces indicated that the missile exploded during its initial flight stage. “Today North Korea disclosed something, but we believe it’s simply a means of deception and exaggeration,” said Lee Sung-joon, the spokesman for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a briefing.
Lee further suggested that the photos released by North Korea, purportedly from Wednesday’s test, were likely fabricated or reused from a previous launch.
South Korea, the United States, and Japan condemned the missile launch as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and a severe threat. They also cautioned against further provocations following last week’s summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In response to the escalating tensions, the three nations commenced large-scale joint military drills on Thursday. The exercises, involving navy destroyers, fighter jets, and the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, are aimed at enhancing defense capabilities against missiles, submarines, and air attacks. The “Freedom Edge” exercise, conceived during the three-way summit at Camp David last year, seeks to bolster military cooperation amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula due to North Korea’s weapons testing.
North Korea criticized the deployment of the carrier as a “very dangerous” demonstration of force. During Putin’s first visit to North Korea in 24 years, the two leaders signed a mutual defense pact, which Kim Jong Un hailed as an alliance, though South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol deemed it “anachronistic”.
Also Read | Russia Considers Diplomatic Downgrade with the West, Kremlin Reveals
On Thursday, South Korea imposed sanctions on four entities, including two Russian shipping companies, as well as four Russian vessels, for their involvement in illicit shipments of weapons and petroleum products. South Korea and the United States have accused North Korea of supplying weapons to Russia for use in the Ukraine war, a claim both Russia and North Korea deny.
Additionally, South Korea sanctioned a North Korean entity and eight individuals connected to missile development projects.
In a separate KCNA report, North Korean defense minister Kang Sun Nam condemned Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles in an attack on Crimea, which Russia claimed resulted in at least four deaths and 151 injuries. He labeled the attack as an “inexcusable, heinous act against humanity,” highlighting Washington’s role as a “top-class state sponsor of terrorism.”
The U.S. State Department responded on Monday, asserting that the weapons provided to Ukraine were intended for the defense of its sovereign territory, including Crimea.
