Foreign Media Simultaneously Report North Korea's Missile Test Launch

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] On the 13th, when North Korea announced through the Korean Central News Agency the test launch of a new long-range cruise missile, foreign media outlets reported it simultaneously.

On that day, Bloomberg, AFP, and other news agencies reported that tensions were rising over this news, which came a day before the trilateral North Korea nuclear chief representatives meeting between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan aimed at seeking ways to resume stalled talks with North Korea.

They also cited experts’ opinions, reporting that North Korea has steadily continued its weapons development program.

Additionally, they reported that if the new long-range cruise missile flew as announced by North Korea, it would have secured a range capable of striking most areas of Japan.

Ankit Panda, senior researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, mentioned to Bloomberg and Reuters that North Korea had also showcased cruise missiles in October last year before this test launch, stating, "This could place additional burdens on the missile defense capabilities of South Korea and Japan," and added, "This will be the first cruise missile from North Korea explicitly designated for a strategic role."

Su Kim, policy analyst at the U.S. think tank RAND Corporation, said, "This test launch serves as a reminder to the international community that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the North Korean regime will continue to maintain its weapons capabilities for provocations and other purposes."

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command stated in a press release on the same day, "Such activities emphasize North Korea’s continued focus on strengthening its military programs," and added, "They pose a threat to neighboring countries and the international community."

Meanwhile, the South Korean and U.S. governments are conducting a detailed analysis of the cruise missile launched by North Korea.

The Korean Central News Agency announced that "The National Defense Science Institute successfully conducted test launches of newly developed long-range cruise missiles on September 11 and 12," and stated, "The launched long-range cruise missiles flew for 7,580 seconds along elliptical and figure-eight flight trajectories set over our nation’s territory and territorial waters, hitting targets at a 1,500 km range."

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