JCS: N. Korea’s Claims of Multi-Warhead Missile Test Exaggerated

Anchor: North Korea claims to have successfully conducted an important test aimed at securing multiple-warhead missile capabilities. However, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff begs to differ, saying North Korea’s weapons test the previous day failed as the missile exploded midair. 
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: North Korea says it has successfully conducted a key test to develop multiple-warhead missiles.

 

Releasing related photos, the North’s state run media said Thursday that the regime’s missile agency the previous day test-launched a ballistic missile carrying multiple warheads.

The North claimed that the warheads were properly separated to hit three coordinate targets.

 

The South Korean military detected the launch of what was presumed to be a hypersonic missile early morning Wednesday, and announced that the projectile exploded midair.

 

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters Thursday that the North’s claim was false.

 

[Sound bite: Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Col. Lee Sung Joon (Korean-English)]

“The missile North Korea launched yesterday exploded in the early stage of its flight. North Korea released a contradicting story earlier today, and we think it aims to deceive and exaggerate.”

A trail of the North Korean missile was spotted in the sky near the South Korean border island of Yeonpyeong in the Yellow Sea at 5:32 a.m. Wednesday.

[Sound bite: Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Col. Lee Sung Joon (Korean-English)]

“I cannot give you specific details but if you look at videos and photos taken by civilians, you can tell that the missile’s flight was abnormal.”​  

North Korea in 2021 introduced its plan to develop multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle, or MIRV, technology.

The JCS spokesman pointed out that the North Korean projectile exploded in the initial stages of the ascent while MIRV warheads are supposed to separate shortly before approaching targets during descent.

The South Korean military believes that the North is seeking to exaggerate its weapons development in the wake of the failed spy satellite launch late last month.

Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.