North Korea announced that a series of weapons tests this week included ballistic missiles equipped with cluster‑munition warheads as the regime continues to develop forces that threaten South Korea.
State media reported the three‑day round of trials began on Monday and also showcased anti‑aircraft systems, so‑called electromagnetic weapons and what it called carbon‑fiber bombs. South Korea’s military detected multiple launches from the east coast on Wednesday — the second day of launches in two days — and said the projectiles traveled roughly 240 to 700 kilometers before splashing down in the sea. Officials also reported at least one launch Tuesday from an area near Pyongyang.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said none of Wednesday’s firings entered its exclusive economic zone. The U.S. military assessed the Tuesday and Wednesday launches did not pose an immediate threat to the United States or its allies.
North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency said the tests validated cluster‑munitions warhead systems mounted on Hwasong‑11 short‑range ballistic missiles, which resemble Russia’s Iskander and are designed to fly at low altitude with maneuverability to complicate interception. KCNA claimed that a missile armed with such a warhead could devastate an area of about 6.5–7 hectares.
A spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, Jang Do‑young, said the military is analyzing the launches and sharing information with U.S. and Japanese counterparts, but declined to verify Pyongyang’s technical claims.
The latest launches underscore ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and have dimmed hopes in Seoul for rapid improvement in relations. In a Tuesday statement, Pyongyang’s first vice foreign minister, Jang Kum Chol, reiterated that South Korea is the North’s “most hostile enemy state” and criticized Seoul’s liberal government for pursuing renewed dialogue.
Since nuclear negotiations with the United States stalled in 2019, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has largely halted diplomacy with Washington and Seoul and accelerated development of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Pyongyang has also sought closer ties with nations at odds with the U.S., including Russia and China. North Korean state media said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was scheduled to arrive Thursday for a two‑day visit.