SEOUL – North Korea said it tested its new strategic cruise missile on Jan 24, state media KCNA reported on Jan 25, confirming what the South Korean military said the day before.

The missile, dubbed “Pulhwasal-3-31”, was currently under development, and the test-firing had no impact on the security of neighbouring countries, KCNA said, adding that the testing had “nothing” to do with the regional situation.

The test was also part of the process of updating the country’s weapon system, the report said, citing the North’s Missile Administration.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Jan 24 said it believed the firing was to test upgrades of existing missiles’ capabilities.

On Jan 24, the South Korean military said the North had fired multiple cruise missiles towards the sea off its west coast at around 7am.

South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik condemned the launches as a serious threat to his country.

The term “strategic” typically refers to nuclear-capable weapons.

North Korea carried out its first test of a cruise missile with possible nuclear strike capabilities in September 2021.

On Jan 24, South Korea said it was starting mass production of medium-altitude reconnaissance drones with the goal of deploying them in 2027 to improve surveillance capabilities and contribute to defence exports.

North Korea’s cruise missiles usually generate less interest than ballistic missiles because they are not explicitly banned by any United Nations Security Council resolution. But analysts have said intermediate-range, land-attack cruise missiles are no less a threat than ballistic missiles, and are a serious capability for North Korea.

Cruise missiles and short-range ballistic missiles that can be armed with either conventional or nuclear bombs are seen as particularly destabilising in the event of conflict, as it can be unclear which kind of warhead they are carrying. REUTERS