JCS: "Long-range ballistic missile maximum altitude 1920 km"

Japan: "Did not pass through Japanese airspace... Presumed failed normal flight"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] The long-range ballistic missile launched by North Korea on the 3rd is estimated to have soared to a maximum altitude of about 1920 km and flown approximately 760 km at a top speed of about Mach 15 (15 times the speed of sound).

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the day, North Korea launched a long-range missile from the Pyongyang Sunan area toward the East Sea around 7:40 a.m., and two short-range ballistic missiles launched around 8:39 a.m. were detected flying about 330 km, reaching an altitude of about 70 km, at a speed of about Mach 5.

The long-range ballistic missile underwent stage separation, with the propulsion unit and warhead separating. Accordingly, the military analyzes that this missile is highly likely to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It is presumed that North Korea launched the long-range ballistic missile at a higher angle than the normal angle (30?45 degrees) on this day.

There were reports from Japan that the missile passed over the Japanese archipelago during its initial phase, but it was later confirmed that it did not pass over Japanese airspace.

However, in the initial analysis by Japanese authorities, the missile reached a maximum altitude of 2000 km and flew about 750 km before disappearing in the air, raising the possibility of failure. Our military is also analyzing the situation with this possibility in mind.

If the long-range ballistic missile launched on this day is an ICBM, it would be North Korea's seventh ICBM launch this year. North Korea launched ICBMs on February 27 and March 5, claiming both times that they were for reconnaissance satellite testing. These missiles flew 560?620 km, initially assessed by the military as medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM), but later re-evaluated as the Hwasong-17 ICBM.

The Hwasong-17 presumed ICBM launched on March 16 exploded at an altitude below 20 km during its initial phase. On March 24, North Korea claimed to have launched an ICBM of the Hwasong-17 type at maximum performance, reaching an altitude of over 6200 km and a flight distance of 1,080 km, completely breaking the declared moratorium on ICBM test launches.

However, this missile was actually a Hwasong-15, not a Hwasong-17, and the U.S. and South Korea assessed that North Korea deceived to cover up the explosion.

North Korea also launched ICBMs again on May 4 and 25, notably demonstrating a ‘mixed launch’ capability on May 25 by firing an ICBM along with two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) in the same manner as on this day. It has been publicly reported that North Korea launched ballistic missiles 30 times and cruise missiles 3 times this year, including four launches the day before and one on this day. Since the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, this is the 19th missile launch.

Meanwhile, immediately after North Korea’s ballistic missile launch, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Kim Seung-gyeom closely shared the situation through a Korea-U.S. coordination meeting with Combined Forces Command Commander Paul LaCamera and confirmed that the combined defense posture will be further strengthened against any threats and provocations from North Korea.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "North Korea’s successive ballistic missile launches are serious provocations that threaten peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the international community. They are clear violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, and we strongly condemn them and urge immediate cessation."

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