‘North Korean Version of Tomahawk’ Test Launch Is

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] North Korea has test-fired a new long-range cruise missile with a range of 1,500 km. It is interpreted as a low-intensity show of force through the launch of a cruise missile that does not violate the UN Security Council's resolutions on North Korea.

According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 13th, North Korea's National Defense Science Institute successfully conducted test launches of the new long-range cruise missile on September 11 and 12. The missile flew for 7,580 seconds and hit a target 1,500 km away. Earlier in January, North Korea mentioned at the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party that it had developed a medium- to long-range cruise missile. It is expected that following these two tests, final tests for operational deployment will be conducted, leading to mass production. Cruise missiles have higher accuracy than ballistic missiles and fly at lower altitudes, making detection and interception difficult.

Because of these characteristics, there have been cases where our military failed to detect several short-range cruise missile launches by North Korea. The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "Our military is conducting precise analysis under close cooperation between South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies."

Regarding North Korea's public cruise missile launches, Shin Jong-woo, Senior Analyst at the Korea Defense and Security Forum (KODEF), said, "It was a demonstration that not only ballistic missiles but also cruise missiles can attack Japan, Guam, and Alaska."

Professor Kim Dong-yeop of the Graduate School for North Korean Studies also analyzed, "With a range of 1,500 km, it includes the U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan," adding, "It shows an intention to increase deterrence through cruise missiles." There is also an interpretation that this is pressure on the U.S., which calls for 'unconditional dialogue' without definite incentives.

Professor Kim Yong-hyun of Dongguk University's Department of North Korean Studies pointed out, "The Biden administration said it would engage in dialogue with the North, but nothing has actually started," and added, "This was a show of force toward the U.S. to assert presence within a limited scope."

This provocation also coincides with the timing of a meeting among senior South Korean, U.S., and Japanese diplomatic officials to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue. On the 14th, Noh Kyu-duk, Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Peace and Security Affairs Division for the Korean Peninsula, Sung Kim, U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, and Takehiro Funakoshi, Director of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will meet in Tokyo to discuss solutions to the North Korean issue. Additionally, on the 15th, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold a foreign ministers' meeting in Seoul to discuss current issues.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.