Politics

North Korea says it has tested new cruise missile in development

Seoul, Jan 25 (EFE).- North Korea said Thursday it had tested the new Pulhwasal-3-31 strategic cruise missile, according to state news agency KCNA.

In a brief statement which gave no details about the projectile, the outlet said the Wednesday launch had no impact on the security of neighboring countries and has nothing to do with the regional situation, referencing escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula.

South Korea’s military reported Wednesday the detection of the launch of several cruise missiles from Pyongyang toward the Yellow Sea at about 7:00 a.m. local time (22:00 GMT on Tuesday), but did not provide further details about its analysis of the launch.

The test was North Korea’s first since September 2023, when it launched two long-range strategic projectiles with simulated nuclear warheads in the same area, and came a few days after the proclaimed test of an underwater drone with nuclear capabilities.

It also comes 10 days after North Korea carried out what it called a test launch of an intermediate-range, solid-fuel hypersonic missile into the Sea of Japan, which marked the first North Korean weapons test of 2024.

The Korean peninsula is experiencing a moment of high tension following the termination of the 2018 inter-Korean agreement aimed at reducing military presence and exercises in border areas, after Pyongyang carried out live-fire maneuvers near the western maritime border at the beginning of the month.

South Korea’s military said it will resume artillery fire and border exercises in response.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called last week on amending the country’s constitution to define South Korea as the “main enemy” and said the regime would abandon its decades-long policy of seeking reconciliation and unification. EFE

asb-mra/lds

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