North Korea has successfully tested a “new-type” of tactical ballistic missile that can fire a 4.5 ton “super-large” warhead up to 500 km (311 miles), the North’s state-run media reported on Tuesday, adding that more tests would be conducted this month.
The missile, the Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5, was test fired on Monday, and the result of the test was “of great significance,” said the Korean Central News Agency.
“The test-fire was conducted with a missile tipped with a simulated heavy warhead to verify flight stability and hit accuracy at the maximum range of 500 km [311 miles] and the minimum range of 90 km [55 miles],” the news agency reported.
South Korea’s military said on Monday North Korea fired two ballistic missiles over the sea off its east coast early that day.
One short-range ballistic missile was launched from the Jangyon area in South Hwanghae Province at about 5:05 a.m. in a northeastern direction, said the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Another unidentified ballistic missile was launched at around 5:15 a.m, it added, without providing further details.
The North Korean test came shortly after South Korea, the United States and Japan concluded joint military exercises.
The North, which regards such exercises as preparations by the U.S. and its allies to invade the country, condemned the exercise on Sunday and vowed to take “offensive and overwhelming countermeasures” to protect its sovereignty.
The North Korean news agency said Monday’s test was “part of the regular activities of the administration and its affiliated defense science institutes.”
It added it would test the Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5 this month to verify its flight characteristics, accuracy “and explosion power of super-large warhead at the medium range of 250 km [155 miles].”
Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.
