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North Korea has tested a strategic cruise missile equipped with a cluster warhead, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday (November 3).
The test, conducted on Monday, was aimed at verifying the missile’s flight characteristics and its ability to strike targets vertically.
Pyongyang carried out the test amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula as part of efforts to demonstrate its military capabilities. The test came a day after North Korea conducted a test of a ballistic missile fitted with a cluster warhead.
Tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang have further escalated after three South Korean soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion near the heavily fortified border.
According to KCNA, the medium-sized cluster warhead fitted to the cruise missile can cause extensive destruction across a target area of five to six hectares by unleashing a high-density explosive force.
The report also said the test assessed the missile’s precision-strike capabilities by improving its ability to change trajectory during the final stage of flight, taking natural and geographical conditions into account.
A North Korean official said the test was conducted to safeguard national security and ensure the armed forces’ ability to counter all forms of threats.
The director-general of the country’s Missile Administration said such powerful weapons systems would help protect the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) against potential external threats and further strengthen its military capabilities.
The nuclear-armed country has recently conducted a series of weapons tests, including those involving attack drones, a new precision-guided torpedo system and a medium-range hypersonic missile.
South Korea’s military made no announcement regarding Monday’s cruise missile test. It maintained a similar silence over Sunday’s test.
While United Nations Security Council sanctions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, they do not ban cruise missile tests.
Sources: TRT World