North Korea brags of new missile with ‘super-large warhead’
North Korea said yesterday it had test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying “a super-large warhead”, a claim quickly disputed by South Korean officials and experts who speculate the North probably fabricated a successful test to conceal a botched launch.
It is the second time that South Korea has questioned North Korea’s claim on the development of new weapons in recent days, as the rivals are locked in heightened animosities over the North’s testing activities.
The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said that Monday’s test involved the Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5 missile, which can carry a 4.5 tonne-class warhead.
It said the test was meant to verify the weapon’s flight stability and hit accuracy at the maximum range of 310 miles and the minimum range of 55 miles.
The test apparently refers to the two ballistic missile launches that South Korea said North Korea performed on Monday.
Joint chiefs of staff spokesman Lee Sung Joon said at a briefing later yesterday that the second North Korean missile was found to have fallen on an uninhabited area near Pyongyang, the
North’s capital. He said he could find few previous test-launches by north korea that have aimed at ground target sites.
“Regarding the North Korean assessment, we’re weighing a possibility of deception,” Mr Lee said.
The south korean military has said the second North Korean missile possibly travelled abnormally during the initial stage of its flight.
It said if the missile exploded, its debris would likely have scattered on the ground.
The KCNA dispatch didn’t say from where it launched the new missile and where it landed.
Unlike previous weapons tests, North korea also didn’ t publicise any photos of Monday’s test.
The fact that it tested both the missile’s maximum and minimum ranges suggested North Korea performed two launches.
Shin Jongwoo, a Seoul-based military expert, said the lack of any photos on the launches means it is highly likely the North is trying to deceive the outsiders to cover up Monday’s failed launches.