The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a rally in Hamhung, North Korea, at around 6 p.m. The missiles flew about 110 kilometers (about 68.3 miles) at an altitude of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles), with a maximum speed of Mach 4.0 or lower, the statement said. On Sunday, North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency reported that Kim had spotted a test firing of a “new type of tactical weapon guidance”, which was “successfully carried out”. The KCNA claimed that the new weapon strengthened the country’s “long-range artillery units” and increased its efficiency “in operating its (North Korea) regular nuclear weapons and diversifying their firepower missions”. Immediately after the launch, the South Korean military, intelligence services and the National Security Agency held an emergency meeting to assess the situation and discuss countermeasures, according to a statement from the General Staff. South Korean President Moon Jae-in received real-time reports from the Office of National Security and instructed relevant government ministries to inspect North Korea’s moves, Moon Park-kyung’s spokeswoman said in a statement on Sunday. “We are aware of North Korea’s statement that they have tested a large-scale artillery system. We are analyzing all activities in close coordination with our allies and partners,” a Pentagon spokesman said in a statement. “Our commitment to the defense of (South Korea), Japan and the United States.” Duyeon Kim, Assistant Senior Fellow at the Center for New American Security, said North Korea aimed to build missiles that could evade defense systems, with “features that could launch them under U.S. and Southern radar.” Korea “. “These types of missiles are particularly threatening to South Korea and Japan and are weapons that can be used or even launch a conflict,” he said. Ankit Panda, Stanton’s senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, added that this was the first time North Korea had “specifically assigned a tactical nuclear weapons role to a test missile”. North Korea has stepped up its missile tests this year, including its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in more than four years, on March 24, in violation of international law. In the first four months of 2022 alone, the North has conducted 12 tests. By comparison, it conducted only four tests in 2020 and eight in 2021. The ICBM was reported to be the most formidable to date – although missile experts and a South Korean military official later said it may have been a less advanced weapon than previously thought. Duyeon Kim said the tests could have many purposes: one is a message to the people of North Korea that “their country is strong despite the obvious economic difficulties.” North Korea also has “the internal imperative to manufacture and refine the types of advanced weapons ordered by Kim Jong Un last year,” he said. This year is significant for the country because of many important dates – including the 10th anniversary of Kim Jong Un’s rule and the 110th anniversary of the birth of its founder Kim Il Sung – one of the most important events in the North Korean Calendar. . Lee Sang-hyun, president of the Sejong Institute’s South Korean think tank, said Kim could be under pressure to “show off his achievements”. April has many of these important dates, providing an opportunity to “show the world the missile and nuclear capabilities of their country.” Another reason for the recent tests could be the protest against the joint US-South Korean military exercises to be held this month, experts said. North Korea has long condemned these joint exercises as a serious threat to its security, accusing the United States of pursuing a “hostile policy” toward the country.
