NORTH KOREA HAS fired two medium-range ballistic missiles, Seoul’s military said, days after Pyongyang announced a successful test of a solid-fuel motor for a new weapons system.
The missiles were fired from 11.13 am to 12.05pm into the East Sea, it said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan. The South’s military “strongly” condemned Sunday’s launch, calling it a “serious provocation” and a “clear violation” of UN Security Council resolutions. All its known ICBMs are liquid-fuelled, however, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has placed strategic priority on developing solid-fuel engines for more advanced missiles.Liquid-fuel rockets are notoriously difficult to operate and take a long time to prepare for launch, making them slower and easier for the enemy to spot and destroy.
The latest motor test was a step towards that goal, but it is not clear how far North Korea has come in the development of such a missile, analysts said. In his most recent address to the meeting, which was released to the public last New Year’s Day, Kim focused on domestic affairs.