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North Korea test fires fourth missile this year

Posted January. 18, 2022 07:55,   

Updated January. 18, 2022 07:55

한국어

North Korea launched two missiles toward the East Sea on Monday in its fourth provocation this year. North Korea test fired a hypersonic missile from Jagang Province and a short-range ballistic missile from Uiju in North Pyongan Province earlier on Jan. 5 and Jan. 11, respectively. By test-firing short-range ballistic missiles from Pyongyang this time, the North demonstrated domestically and internationally its capability of striking South Korea from anywhere in North Korea.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday, two short-range ballistic missiles, presumed to be North Korea’s KN-23, were launched from the Sunan Airfield in Pyongyang at 8:50 a.m. and 8:54 a.m., respectively into the East Sea. These missiles flew 380 kilometers and hit the Al Island (target island) off the coast of Musudan-ri, North Hamgyong Province, after reaching a peak altitude of 42 kilometers. It is known that intercepting KN-23 is tricky since it performs pull-up maneuvers while entering a low altitude.

The military believes that the purpose of the launch was to test the capability to fire short-range ballistic missiles consecutively and the precision of missiles. It has been four years and four months since North Korea last fired a missile from Pyongyang in 2017 when it launched Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile.

In an emergency meeting presided over by South Korea’s top security advisor Suh Hoon, the South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae expressed deep regret over North Korea’s missile launches.


Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com