North Korea likely fired a “new type” of
ballistic missile Thursday that may have used advanced solid fuel, Seoul’s
military said, representing a potential technical breakthrough for
Pyongyang’s banned weapons programs.
“North Korea appears to have fired a new type of ballistic missile, possibly
using solid fuel,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff told AFP.
All of Pyongyang’s known intercontinental ballistic missiles are liquid-
fuelled, and solid-fuel ICBMs that can be launched from land or submarines
have long been on top of leader Kim Jong Un’s wish list.
Such missiles are easier to store and transport, more stable and quicker to
prepare for launch, and thus harder to detect and destroy pre-emptively.
At a military parade in Pyongyang in February, North Korea showed off a
record number of nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missiles, including
what analysts said was possibly a new solid-fuelled ICBM.
Seoul’s military on Thursday said it had detected one “medium range or
longer” ballistic missile launched on a lofted trajectory — up not out —
from the Pyongyang area at 0723 (1023 GMT), which flew 1,000 km (621 miles).
Japan, which briefly issued a seek shelter warning to residents of the
northern Hokkaido region, said the missile had not fallen within the
country’s territory and posed no threat to residents.বিস্তারিত