Recycling of North Korea Missile Strike Photos?...Repeated Image Manipulation Suspicions

Training Photos of Tactical Nuclear Operation Unit, Same as January Release
Some Information Exaggerated to Showcase Nuclear Delivery Means

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Trust in North Korea's possession of tactical nuclear weapons is declining as suspicions arise that North Korea reused past photos for the training images of its tactical nuclear operation units.

North Korea recently released photos showing its tactical nuclear operation units striking unmanned island targets in the East Sea. However, these photos are presumed to be identical to those released by North Korea in January of this year.

This is not the first time North Korea has released edited photos and videos. In May 2015, North Korea claimed success in an underwater launch test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) and released a video of the launch scene on the South Korea-targeted propaganda website Uriminzokkiri. However, this video is suspected to have been edited from footage of the early American Trident SLBM launch available on YouTube.

On March 24 of this year, North Korea announced the successful launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and released launch footage through state media. However, South Korean military authorities assessed that North Korea actually fired a Hwasong-15. The South Korean and U.S. military authorities judged that the photos and videos presented as successful Hwasong-17 launch scenes were edited from existing footage, including early launch scenes just before the Hwasong-17 exploded in midair.

As North Korea continues to release edited photos and videos regarding means capable of launching nuclear weapons, some analysts interpret this as an attempt to flaunt tactical nuclear weapons while the launch vehicles remain incomplete. North Korea is believed to have exaggerated or manipulated some information under the label of ‘tactical nuclear operation unit training’ to showcase its nuclear delivery capabilities.

North Korea claimed to have launched the SLBM from the ‘northwestern reservoir underwater launch site.’ Reservoirs have no waves compared to the sea and are not very deep, making them controllable. Although the distance from the launch point in Taechon, North Pyongan Province, to the East Sea target is about 400 km, the missile’s flight distance was detected to be approximately 600 km at the time.

However, North Korea is expected to continue tests to improve the completeness of its SLBM. The core of SLBM development is securing technology called ‘cold launch,’ which uses compressed air pressure to eject the missile from underwater in the submarine to above the surface, then ignites the rocket engine to fly toward the target. SLBM development is completed through a three-stage process involving ground water tanks, underwater barges, and actual submarine launch tests.

In the October 2020 military parade commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Workers' Party founding, North Korea showcased the ‘Pukguksong-4ㅅ,’ and in the January parade for the 8th Party Congress, it unveiled the ‘Pukguksong-5ㅅ,’ new SLBMs with larger diameters than existing missiles. Whether these new SLBMs have been test-fired remains unconfirmed, but they are likely to be fired during the development stage. The maximum range of the Pukguksong-3 is estimated to exceed 2,500 km. If equipped with the Pukguksong-3, North Korea’s new submarines would be able to strike the U.S. mainland or Hawaii from relatively safe waters farther away than before. The Pukguksong-4 and -5 imply longer ranges than existing missiles.

The new Pukguksong series SLBMs are expected to be mounted on North Korea’s new submarines currently under construction. These new submarines are estimated to be about 3,000 tons, much larger than the existing Sinpo-class SLBM submarines. The new submarine first revealed in July 2019 is presumed to be capable of carrying about three SLBMs on its large conning tower.

A military official said, “North Korea’s editing of photos and videos of nuclear warhead delivery vehicles, including SLBMs, appears to be an attempt to showcase nuclear capabilities while development is still incomplete,” adding, “It is expected that North Korea will continue to steadily launch actual SLBMs for operational deployment in the future.”

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