North Korea test-fires new long-range cruise missile

As per sources, the newly-developed long-range cruise missiles flew 1,500 kilometers over North Korean territory before successfully hitting their targets. The reports did not say how many missiles were tested, but said the tests occurred last weekend.

The Asian country has conducted its first missile test in about six months.

Several analysts said the missile appeared visually similar to the US Tomahawk (a nuclear-capable cruise missile with a range of about 1,600 kilometers). 

“The long-range cruise missile could give Pyongyang another way to evade its neighbors’ missile defenses,” say analysts. 

Pictures posted in North Korean state media showed one of the cruise missiles being fired from a five-canister, road-mobile launcher that appeared to be parked on a highway. 

Meanwhile, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato being concerned said that missiles of such range would pose a serious threat to the peace and safety of Japan and its surrounding areas.

“We are extremely concerned,” Kato said while mentioning Japanese efforts to strengthen its missile defense capabilities.

Japanese Chief Cabinet further said that Tokyo was working with Washington and Seoul to gather information on North Korea’s latest tests but said there was no immediate indication that the weapons reached inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The US and South Korean officials, who usually detect and report North Korean missile tests shortly after they occur, did not publish statements until after the North Korean state media announcement. 

In a statement, the US military said that it was aware of the reported launches and is monitoring and consulting closely with its allies and partners.

“This activity highlights DPRK’s continuing focus on developing its military program and the threats that poses to its neighbors and the international community,” the statement read. 

In a statement, South Korea’s military officials confirmed the launch, saying it is conducting a “detailed analysis in close coordination with South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies”.

North Korea has not conducted an intercontinental ballistic missile or nuclear test since 2017, though Pyongyang has at times hinted it may do so.

In January 2020, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced he no longer felt bound by his self-imposed moratorium on long-range ballistic missile and nuclear tests. 

That moratorium was put in place during the diplomacy between Kim and former US President Donald Trump. 

Biden has not yet responded to the North’s latest test. 

In addition, under United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, North Korea is prohibited from any ballistic missile activity.