Pulhwasal-3-31 missiles were in the air for 7,421 seconds and 7,445 seconds, KCNA reports without specifying range
Amid rising regional tensions and Pyongyang's continued weapons development, North Korea's Kim Jong-Un oversaw the launch of the crucial Pulhwasal-3-31 strategic missiles, according to KCNA Report early Monday morning.
He KCNA The report stressed that the launches of the two missiles were carried out via a submarine over the East Sea and reached their target, without providing additional details.
During the launches, Kim Jong-Un expressed his great satisfaction at the launch, KCNA reported, adding that “they had no impact on the security of a neighboring country and have nothing to do with the regional situation.”
He KCNA The report noted that the Pulhwasal-3-31 missiles were in the air for 7,421 seconds and 7,445 seconds, without specifying their range.
The cruise missile is a newly developed strategic weapon that Pyongyang tested for the first time on Wednesday, firing multiple missiles into the Yellow Sea.
North Korea's exact maritime launch capabilities are still unknown.
Previous tests were carried out from older vessels, including from a submerged platform, rather than from an actual submarine.
In March last year, North Korea launched two cruise missiles that flew 1,500 kilometers (930 miles), according to Pyongyang, putting all of South Korea and much of Japan within range.
North Korea also has a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) called Pukguksong-3, with an estimated range of 1,900 kilometers. It announced a successful test of a new version of that missile in October 2021.
SLBMs can be launched from beneath the ocean, making them extremely mobile and difficult to detect.
The proven SLBM capability would take North Korea's arsenal to a new level, allowing for deployment well beyond the Korean Peninsula and a second-strike capability in the event of an attack.
North Korea has also conducted what it called simulations with its “first tactical nuclear attack submarine.”
Pyongyang has accelerated weapons tests in the new year, including tests of what it called an “underwater nuclear weapons system” and a solid-fuel hypersonic ballistic missile.
Unlike their ballistic counterparts, cruise missile tests are not prohibited under current UN sanctions against Pyongyang.
Cruise missiles tend to be jet-powered and fly at lower altitudes than more sophisticated ballistic missiles, making them more difficult to detect and intercept.
Recent months have seen a sharp deterioration in ties between the two Koreas, with both sides scrapping key agreements to reduce tension, increasing border security and conducting live-fire drills along the border.
