North Korea tests new tactical weapon right after major holiday

Information North Korea’s latest weapons test was announced on April 17.

North Korea’s state news agency KCNA said leader Kim Jong-un watched the launch. The new weapon is expected by North Korea to promote the effective operation of the country’s tactical nuclear force and the firepower of the country’s long-range weapons.

According to the AP, the images showed the weapon being tested was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, but KCNA did not specifically address this issue. KCNA also did not provide information on the time and location of the launch.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a statement on April 17 confirming that it had detected two fire launches from the eastern coastal town of Hamhung in the early evening of April 16.

South Korea said the firepower flew about 110km at an altitude of 25km and a top speed of Mach 4. South Korean officials held a separate emergency meeting to discuss the North’s launches.

This year, North Korea conducted a series of weapons tests, including one intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time since 2017.

South Korean and US officials both say North Korea could soon conduct another ICBM test, a rocket launch to put a spy satellite into orbit or even a nuclear test.

South Korea’s military has detected signs that Pyongyang is rebuilding tunnels at a nuclear test site it partially dismantled a few weeks before the start of nuclear negotiations with the United States in 2018.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presented unspecified missions to enhance the country’s nuclear and military combat capabilities, the KCNA report said. He also praised the continued progress in efforts to strengthen the country’s deterrent power.

On April 15, Mr Kim Jong-un attended a large civilian parade in Pyongyang on the 110th anniversary of the birth of his grandfather, the late North Korean leader Kim Il-sung.