JCS: "North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile into East Sea" [Comprehensive]

Third Ballistic Missile Launch This Year
Considering Impact Point, Hypersonic Weapon May Have Failed

On the 2nd, North Korea launched a medium-range ballistic missile into the East Sea. There is also a possibility that it was a test launch of a hypersonic weapon.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "At around 6:53 a.m. on that day, one flying object presumed to be a medium-range ballistic missile launched from the Pyongyang area into the East Sea was detected." They added, "The military is strengthening surveillance in preparation for additional launches and is maintaining full readiness while closely sharing information related to North Korean ballistic missiles with U.S. and Japanese authorities."

North Korea's provocation comes 15 days after Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, conducted a firing drill of a super-large multiple rocket launcher (short-range ballistic missile) capable of striking the entire South Korean territory on the 18th of last month. In terms of ballistic missile provocations, this is the third ballistic missile launch this year following the hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch on January 14 and the short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) launch on March 18.

On the 20th of last month, North Korea announced through the state-run media, Korean Central News Agency, that it had successfully conducted a ground ejection test of a multi-stage solid-fuel engine intended for a new medium- to long-range hypersonic missile.

Some speculate that considering it was a medium-range missile, it should have flown for more than 30 minutes with a high-angle launch, but based on the impact point, there is a possibility of failure. Japanese media reported that the missile appeared to have fallen shortly after launch. According to NHK, a Japanese Ministry of Defense official stated, "An object possibly a ballistic missile launched by North Korea seems to have fallen outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)." Our military is currently analyzing the specifications of the North Korean ballistic missile, including flight distance, altitude, and speed.

It is reported that North Korea's launch on this day was not intended to secure a military reconnaissance satellite. Our military authorities have been monitoring the possibility of missile provocations and additional military reconnaissance satellite launches by North Korea targeting major political events this month, such as the South Korean general election (April 10), Kim Il-sung's birthday (April 15), and the founding day of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army (April 25).

Voice of America (VOA) reported that crowds presumed to be troops were repeatedly spotted near the Mirim Airfield parade ground in Pyongyang from March 23 to 27. Regarding this, a military official said, "There has been no confirmation of North Korea's parade movements," and added, "Also, this year is not a significant anniversary year (multiples of 5 or 10 years), so there tends to be no large-scale events."