"North Korea Missile Accuracy Greatly Improved Through Ukraine War"

Multiple senior Ukrainian officials revealed that the accuracy of North Korean ballistic missiles launched by Russia towards Ukraine since the end of December last year has significantly improved compared to before.

According to Reuters on the 6th (local time), senior Ukrainian sources reported that the accuracy of North Korean ballistic missiles, which was previously within 1 to 3 km, has improved to 50 to 100 meters in recent weeks.

Missile suspected to have been used in the airstrike on Kharkiv, Ukraine. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

A senior Ukrainian government official familiar with this field also confirmed this fact.

The sources assessed that North Korea is testing missile technology in the real combat environment of the Ukraine war and improving performance. Although North Korea's missiles have rapidly developed in recent years, they had never been deployed in actual battlefields before.

Ukraine analyzed accuracy by comparing the estimated target with the actual locations where North Korean missiles landed through on-site investigations of missile explosion sites. However, specific attack targets, launch locations, and dates were not disclosed. The sources said that after months of inaccurate launches, the accuracy suddenly improved.

A Ukrainian military source said that analysis of missile debris found no design changes. However, it was suggested that improved navigation systems or steering devices might have been installed.

Experts believe that it is possible that better target information was obtained, Russia provided North Korea with new guidance systems, or North Korea improved technology through data analysis and experience gained from the war. Yang Wook, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said, "North Korea is increasing missile precision by receiving feedback from its customer, the Russian military," adding, "This could have a significant impact on the Korean Peninsula and international security."

Since the end of 2023, Russia has been striking Ukraine using North Korean short-range ballistic missiles K-23, K-23A, and K-24. According to Ukrainian military sources, about 100 missiles have been launched so far.