Seoul: Amid Escalating Tensions, North Korea Launches Several Cruise Missiles

Seoul’s military claimed North Korea launched six cruise missiles on Sunday, the latest in a string of tension-raising acts by the nuclear-armed regime.

The launch comes just days after Pyongyang launched multiple cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea, claiming it was the first test of a new generation of strategic cruise missiles.

North Korea has increased weapons testing in the new year, with tests of an underwater nuclear weapon system and a solid-fueled hypersonic ballistic missile.

In a statement, the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, “Our military detected several unidentified cruise missiles fired near waters around North Korea’s Sinpo area at 8:00 am (2300 GMT) today”.

“The launch was under analysis by South Korean and US intelligence authorities, adding it was closely monitoring North Korea’s additional movements and activities”, the statement reads

Unlike Pyongyang’s ballistic missiles, cruise missile testing is not prohibited by current UN sanctions against North Korea.

Cruise missiles are jet-propelled and fly at lower altitudes than more advanced ballistic missiles, making them more difficult to detect and intercept.

North Korea announced on Thursday that it had conducted its maiden test of a new generation of strategic cruise missiles, the Pulhwasal-3-31, the day before.

Also read: Mars Rover Data Verifies Red Planet’s Ancient Lake Sediments