The Fear-Inducing Number 'KN-Code' [Defense Brief]

Last September, an unpublished work presumed to have been composed by Mozart (1756?1791) during his teenage years was revealed 233 years after his death. This unpublished piece was given the title "Ganz Kleine Nachtmusik" (A Very Small Serenade). It is believed to be a copyist’s score made around 1780 by an unknown musician. It is Mozart’s 648th composition. Mozart’s known works number well over 600, but only 144 were known during his lifetime. At that time, it was rare to print music on paper for record-keeping. This is also why the same piece was rarely performed repeatedly based on sheet music. More of Mozart’s compositions became known after his death than during his life. The young Mozart traveled across Europe seeking a "job" as a court musician until he settled in Vienna in 1781, so it is presumed that there are more undiscovered scores.

Among classical works, Mozart’s pieces are uniquely assigned numbers called K?chel numbers. The newly revealed piece has the K?chel number KV 648. The K?chel numbers were assigned in order by musicologist Ludwig K?chel (1800?1877). K?chel numbered a total of 626 pieces in chronological order of composition and organized them under the initial K of his name. The last piece is the unfinished Requiem. The numbers have been revised several times. Even after K?chel’s death, unpublished works were discovered and composition dates were frequently changed. To date, the K?chel numbers have been revised seven times and are likely to be revised again in the future.

While such new numbers inspire people worldwide, they can also cause fear. This is the case with North Korea’s missile numbers. When South Korea and the U.S. discover North Korean missiles, they assign a "KN-code" to them. KN is derived by reversing the initials of "North Korea." For example, the North Korean medium-range ballistic missile "Nodong missile," confirmed in May 1990 in Nodong-ri, Hamju-gun, South Hamgyong Province, is named after the location where it was found, and its KN code is "KN-5."

Last month, North Korea fired a 600mm super-large multiple rocket launcher, and South Korea and the U.S. assigned the missile the code number KN-25. KN-25 is a ballistic missile that North Korea claims can carry tactical nuclear warheads. Judging by the code numbers alone, North Korea has developed more than 20 types of missiles over 35 years, varying in range and type. Of course, North Korea also gives its missiles their own names. Last year, when it launched a solid-fuel three-stage ICBM with a maximum range of 15,000 km, it called it "Hwaseong-18." It also publicly named its submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) "Pukguksong."

Because South Korea, the U.S., and North Korea use different missile names, a single missile can have multiple names. The "Iskander-type tactical guided missile," known as "KN-23," is a representative example. North Korea calls this missile the "Hwaseong-11Ga-type" new tactical guided missile. The Joint Chiefs of Staff internally referred to it as "19-1 SRBM (short-range ballistic missile)." South Korea and the U.S. once treated the KN codes as military secrets and did not disclose them externally. However, as North Korea began showcasing its new weapons capabilities through official media such as Korean Central Television, the KN codes were also publicly revealed.

Each time the KN codes increase, South Korea and the U.S. apply various sanctions to pressure North Korea. North Korea suffers economically. Kim Jong-un should keep in mind that every time a new KN code is created, life becomes harder for North Korean citizens.