North Korea announced on Tuesday that it had successfully tested a new tactical ballistic missile, the Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5, allegedly capable of carrying a 4.5-ton “super-large warhead.”
The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the test was conducted to “verify the weapon’s flight stability and hit accuracy” at ranges between 90 and 500 kilometers.
However, South Korean officials don’t appear to be completely convinced. Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung Joon suggested the possibility that it’s all an exaggeration.
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“Regarding the North Korean assessment, we’re weighing a possibility of deception.” He added, “It is extremely rare for test launches to be conducted inland, and the claim that they succeeded in such a launch is likely to be false.”
The South Korean military reported observing two missile launches on Monday, with the second missile believed to have failed shortly after launch. Lee noted that the second missile “was found to have fallen on an uninhabited area near Pyongyang,” possibly indicating an explosion over North Korean territory.
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Seoul-based military analyst Shin Jongwoo also noted that the departure from North Korea’s usual practice of publicizing successful launches by releasing photos raises questions about the result of the tests.
The reported test comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea recently conducted live-fire drills near the border with North Korea, the first such exercises since suspending a 2018 agreement aimed at reducing military tensions.
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