[Summary] North Korea Fires 2 Projectiles into East Sea... Flight Distance 230Km

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] North Korea fired two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on the 29th.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "At around 6:10 a.m. on this day, two projectiles were launched from the Wonsan area toward the northeast over the East Sea, with a flight distance of approximately 230 km and an altitude of about 30 km."

In response to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the military said, "In a situation where the whole world is facing difficulties, North Korea's military actions are highly inappropriate, and we urge an immediate cessation of provocations." They added, "We are tracking and monitoring related developments in preparation for additional launches while maintaining a readiness posture."

North Korea launched the North Korean version of the ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) on the 21st. At that time, North Korean media reported that Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, observed the tactical guided weapon test firing and released photos of the projectile. The flight distance of the projectile was detected to be about 410 km, with an altitude of approximately 50 km. The salvo firing duration was confirmed to be 5 minutes.

Since unveiling the new weapon, North Korea has shown a pattern of conducting test launches crossing inland from the west coast region to test the maximum range. The tactical surface-to-surface missile 'ATACMS,' developed by the U.S. company Lockheed Martin, can disperse hundreds of submunitions over an area equivalent to 3 to 4 soccer fields at the terminal phase, with a maximum range of 300 km and a top flight speed of about Mach 3, capable of devastating the area instantly.

The ATACMS missiles possessed by our military and the U.S. Forces Korea carry 950 submunitions with explosive power similar to that of grenades.