[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] The Three Ballistic Missiles Fired by North Korea

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] On the 25th, North Korea conducted a show of force by launching three ballistic missiles, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), immediately after U.S. President Joe Biden's visits to South Korea and Japan. In particular, it is analyzed that North Korea aimed to neutralize the South Korea-U.S. missile defense system by mixing missiles, including the ICBM presumed to be the Hwasong-17 and the short-range ballistic missile called the North Korean version of the Iskander (KN-23). All of these missiles are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that they detected a total of three ballistic missiles launched from the Pyongyang Sunan area toward the East Sea at around 6:00 a.m., 6:37 a.m., and 6:42 a.m. The first missile launched was presumed to be an ICBM, with a flight distance of about 360 km and an altitude of about 540 km. Military authorities are known to place emphasis on the possibility that it was the new type of ICBM, the Hwasong-17, which had previously failed once in March.

The second and third ballistic missiles are believed to be short-range ballistic missiles called the North Korean version of the Iskander. The Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the second missile was lost at an altitude of about 20 km. The military is presumed to consider this a failure. The third ballistic missile is presumed to be a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), detected with a flight distance of about 760 km and an altitude of about 60 km.

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