The North Korean Missile Administration confirmed this Tuesday that it carried out a test launch of a tactical ballistic missile the day before, with the aim of checking the progress in the technical modernization of several of its essential components, according to the North Korean state agency KCNA.
The military body has placed this launch within the "usual activities" of its centers and institutes dedicated to the research and development of new weaponry. At the same time, the official agency emphasized that the technological improvement validated in this exercise represents a "significant achievement," anticipating profound changes in the performance and level of sophistication of the entire set of the country's offensive weapon systems.
In parallel, the South Korean agency Yonhap reported that the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea identified on Monday morning the launch of several ballistic missiles from the vicinity of the North Korean capital towards the waters of the Sea of Japan, also referred to as the East Sea.
South Korean military commanders detailed that in the sequence of shots, different models of projectiles were used and that, at least one of them, traveled more than 900 kilometers. Therefore, they do not rule out that it was a medium-range missile tested at a shorter distance than usual.
This new North Korean weapon test takes place just four days after Seoul announced the first experimental launch of its own domestically manufactured hypersonic glide vehicle, a gesture that South Korean analysts interpret as a display of military power on the peninsula.
According to the same agency, after detecting the launches, the foreign policy and security officials of South Korea, the United States, and Japan held telephone conversations to analyze the scenario and exchange the available information.