The South Korean military has reported that the intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) that the North launched today into the Sea of Japan (called the East Sea in both Koreas), It flew about 1,000 kilometers before falling into the water.
“The North Korean missile fell into the East Sea after flying about 1,000 kilometers,” said the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in a statement in which it assured that the launch was “immediately detected, tracked and monitored” and that Information about it was shared with the US and Japan.
The JCS, which says that the projectile was fired from the Pyongyang area around 2:55 p.m. local time (5:55 GMT), assures that “detailed specifications” of the weapon tested today are being thoroughly analyzed in view of the possibility that it is a new type of solid fuel IRBM.
Seoul has warned of an imminent test of such a projectile since Kim Jong-un's regime first tested two new solid-fuel IRBM motors – intended for the missile's first and second phases – in mid-November.
Unlike liquid fuel, solid fuel allows the missile to be stored already loaded with propellant, which allows for faster deployment when launching and makes it more difficult for the projectile to be destroyed by a preventive attack.
This latest North Korean launch, the first this year, comes after the regime fired a solid-fuel long-range ballistic missile (ICBM)a Hwasong-18, on December 18.
The test also comes at a time of special tension after the regime announced in November the suspension of a bilateral military agreement signed in 2018 that sought to avoid clashes around the divide between the two countries.
Following this announcement, Pyongyang carried out artillery maneuvers along the disputed western maritime border between January 5 and 7, which led Seoul toesponder with your own live fire drills and to announce that it would resume military exercises in this border area.
EFE
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