North Korea fires suspected cruise missiles after US drills

North Korea’s weapons tests are meant to build a nuclear and missile program that can stand up to what it sees as U.S. and South Korean hostility, but they are also considered by outside analysts as ways to make its political demands clear to leaders in Washington and Seoul. Analysts say the latest test appeared to be aimed at keeping up pressures on Moon, who convened a National Security Council meeting in Seoul over the launch.

The launches Thursday were North Korea’s fourth missile test in as many weeks as the country continues to speed up its development of nuclear weapons and missiles.

Kim Dong-yub, a North Korea expert at Seoul’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said the projectiles, which showed longer range than North Korea’s previously known KN-01 anti-ship cruise missiles that can travel up to 160 kilometres (99 miles), were likely from a new cruise missile system North Korea displayed during a massive April 15 military parade. The improved range indicates the North is pursuing weapons capable of reaching U.S. aircraft carriers that operate from deeper positions, he said.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said after Thursday’s launch that Tokyo has not detected any “flying objects” that headed toward Japan or landed inside the country’s maritime economic zone.

North Korea on May 14 premiered a powerful new midrange missile that it said could carry a heavy nuclear warhead. Experts said that rocket flew higher and for a longer time than any other missile previously tested by North Korea, and that it could one day reach targets as far away as Hawaii and Alaska.

The North in following weeks launched a solid-fuel midrange missile that can be fired on shorter notice than liquid fuel missiles, and also what it descried a new “precision-guided” missile, which experts say is designed with a manoeuvrable terminal stage meant to frustrate missile defence systems like the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defence that is being deployed in South Korea.

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Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Hyung-Jin Kim And Kim Tong-Hyung, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

North Korea fires suspected cruise missiles after US drills

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