North Korea announced via state media KCNA on Thursday that it had conducted a trial of its new strategic cruise missile on Wednesday, corroborating the previous day's statement from the South Korean military.
The missile, named "Pulhwasal-3-31," is presently in the developmental phase, and the test launch posed no threat to neighboring nations' security, according to the state media report. It emphasized that the test had no bearing on the regional situation.
The trial was depicted as part of the ongoing process of modernizing the nation's weaponry, as per The Missile Administration cited in the report.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff interpreted the launch as an attempt to assess enhancements in the capabilities of existing missiles.
On the day of the test, South Korea's military reported that North Korea had discharged numerous cruise missiles toward the sea off its western coast around 7 a.m. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik of Seoul condemned these launches, characterizing them as a significant menace to his country.
The term "strategic" typically denotes weapons capable of carrying nuclear payloads.
North Korea's initial cruise missile trial with potential nuclear attack capabilities took place in September 2021.
In a separate development on Thursday, South Korea announced plans to commence large-scale production of medium-altitude reconnaissance drones with intentions to deploy them by 2027. This initiative aims to bolster surveillance capabilities and foster defense exports.
While cruise missiles from North Korea often attract less attention than ballistic missiles due to the absence of explicit prohibition by United Nations Security Council resolutions, analysts caution that intermediate-range, land-attack cruise missiles possess a comparable threat level to ballistic missiles and represent a substantial capability for North Korea.
The ambiguity surrounding the warhead payloads of cruise missiles and short-range ballistic missiles, which can carry either conventional or nuclear explosives, adds to their destabilizing potential in conflict scenarios.
