North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un oversaw the Pulhwasal-3-31 strategic missile launch, reports KCNA. These missiles, launched from a submarine in the East Sea, successfully hit their targets.
Kim expressed satisfaction, noting the launches’ minimal impact on regional security. The missiles remained airborne for over 7,400 seconds each, but their range remains undisclosed.
The new cruise missile, first tested last Wednesday towards the Yellow Sea, represents a strategic advancement for Pyongyang.
North Korea’s sea-based launch capabilities, previously demonstrated from older vessels and platforms, are still partly unknown. Last March, they launched two cruise missiles covering 1,500 kilometres, threatening South Korea and Japan.
The country also possesses the Pukguksong-3, a 1,900-kilometer-range submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). Its SLBM capability, offering mobility and stealth, enhances North Korea’s military reach and retaliatory potential.
Read: North Korea Tests New “Pulhwasal-3-31” Strategic Cruise Missiles
Pyongyang has increased weapon tests recently, including an “underwater nuclear weapon system” and a solid-fuel hypersonic ballistic missile. Notably, cruise missile tests do not violate current UN sanctions.
Cruise missiles, typically jet-propelled and flying at lower altitudes, are more elusive than ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, inter-Korean relations have worsened, with both sides abandoning de-escalation agreements and intensifying border security and military drills.
