North Korea Conducts Several Cruise Missile Firings, South Korea Confirms

On Sunday, the South Korean military reported that North Korea conducted the launch of several cruise missiles, with the projectiles traversing over waters adjacent to a significant military shipyard on the eastern coast of South Korea. 

This incident continues a series of weapons tests that are escalating tensions with the United States, South Korea, and Japan.

These missile launches come in the wake of a separate set of North Korean cruise missile tests conducted the previous week and the test-firing of the country’s initial solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile on January 14. 

North Korea’s Missile Tests Highlight Arsenal Goals

These tests underscore the efforts of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to enhance the country’s weapons arsenal, aiming to surpass missile defenses in South Korea and Japan while posing a threat to remote US targets in the Pacific, including Guam.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff in South Korea identified the missiles traversing over waters in proximity to the North Korean port of Sinpo, a strategic location with a major shipyard focused on the construction of vital naval vessels, including submarines equipped with missile capabilities.

The military in the South did not promptly disclose specific details about the missile launch, such as the number of missiles fired, their range, and the launch platform, whether from land-based facilities or naval assets.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have surged in recent months as Kim Jong Un intensifies his weapons development efforts and issues provocative threats of nuclear conflict involving the United States and its allies in Asia.

In response, the United States, South Korea, and Japan have been enhancing their joint military exercises, which North Korea perceives as rehearsals for invasion. 

North Korea Tests New Cruise Missile Pulhwasal-3-31

North Korea stated that its recent launches involved a new cruise missile named Pulhwasal-3-31, portraying the test as part of routine military development.

The term “strategic” used to describe the missile implies a potential intention to equip it with nuclear capabilities.

North Korea’s array of cruise missiles supplements its extensive collection of ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to reach the US mainland.

While UN sanctions do not explicitly prohibit North Korean cruise missile activities, experts highlight the potential threat these weapons pose to South Korea and Japan. 

Designed to fly akin to small airplanes, these missiles can navigate landscapes, making them potentially challenging to detect with radar.

Since 2021, North Korea has conducted at least 10 rounds of tests involving what it claims are long-range cruise missiles launched from both land and sea. 

The country asserts that its weapons are nuclear-capable, with a range of up to 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles), encompassing U.S. military bases in Japan.