Military: N Korea’s Missile Launches May Be Response to S Korea’s Hypersonic Weapon Test

By Staff, Agencies

North Korea’s ballistic missile launches on Monday may have been a response to South Korea’s recent successful test of a hypersonic glide vehicle, according to the South Korean military.

The assessment followed North Korea’s launch of multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, with at least one missile reportedly traveling more than 900 kilometers [559 miles], Yonhap News Agency reported.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS] said it detected the launches at around 9:20 a.m. local time (0020 GMT) from the Pyongyang area.

JCS spokesperson Jang Do-young said the launches could also be aimed at demonstrating progress in North Korea’s five-year defense development plan, according to Yonhap.

Jang declined to confirm whether the projectiles were hypersonic or intermediate-range ballistic missiles, noting that further technical analysis was needed to determine their characteristics.

The launches came days after South Korea conducted its first test launch of a hypersonic glide vehicle on Thursday, in what appeared to be a demonstration of its advanced missile capabilities.

Japan also detected two suspected ballistic missiles, which reportedly fell outside the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The latest developments come amid heightened tensions following a land mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone on September 21 that injured three South Korean soldiers, two of them seriously.

Seoul accused North Korean troops of deliberately planting the mines following a joint investigation conducted with the United Nations Command.

Pyongyang rejected the allegations, accusing Seoul of fabricating the investigation’s findings and warning that it would retaliate against any military countermeasures.

North Korea has not yet issued an official public statement regarding Monday’s missile launches.