04.17.2022 07:28 (Akt. 04.17.2022 07:30)
The image should show the test of the new guided missile ©APA/AFP
North Korea’s self-declared nuclear power says it has successfully tested a new type of tactical guided missile. The development of this weapons system increases the efficiency of the use of “tactical nuclear weapons”, state media reported on Sunday, without giving the time of the test or other details. Ruler Kim Jong-un oversaw the test.
The South Korean military staff confirmed the test and initially spoke of two “projectiles” that North Korea fired towards the open sea in the east on Saturday night (local time). They flew about 110 kilometers. Experts suspected it could be short-range ballistic missiles.
North Korea has tested an unusually large number of increasingly powerful missiles this year. South Korea and the US fear the country could prepare to test nuclear weapons for the first time since 2017 amid stalled negotiations.
UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range, which, depending on the design, can also carry a nuclear warhead. Ballistic missiles are generally surface-to-surface missiles, most of which have a guidance system.
In late March, neighboring countries became alarmed by the launch of a North Korean ICBM. ICBMs have a range of over 5,500 kilometers. North Korea is subject to tough international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program.