North Korea continues to test weapons as two missiles were fired off the coast of the South Korean Peninsula on Saturday. The country’s state media said this was the latest in their “new tactical weapon.”
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the missiles flew about 110 kilometers at an altitude of 25 kilometers with a maximum speed of Mach 4.0 or lower.
North Korean state media KCNA reported Kim watched the firing of a “new-type tactical guided weapon,” which was “carried out successfully.” They also said that the missiles increased the country’s “frontline long-range artillery units,” and increased efficiency “in the operation of tactical nukes of (North Korea) and diversification of their firepower missions.”
South Korean President Moon Jae-in received real-time reports and ordered government ministries to inspect North Korea’s movements.
“We are aware of the North Korean statement that they conducted a test of a long-range artillery system. We analyze all activities in close coordination with our allies and partners,” said a spokesperson for the US Department of Defense in a statement, adding that the US is “very clear on our commitment to the defense of (South Korea), Japan, and the US homeland.”
“These types of missiles are especially threatening to South Korea and Japan and they’re weapons that can be used in or even start a conflict,” spokeswoman Park Kyung-mee said.
There were previous tests carried out this year in defiance of the international laws against nuclear weapons. The weapons tested earlier today were intercontinental ballistic missiles. This is considered one of the strongest weapons a country can have.
This is concerning for neighboring countries that at the moment do not have a nuclear weapon arsenal. Countries with nuclear weapons include Russia, the US (NATO), India, Pakistan, and North Korea.