Testing took place after US – South Korea military exercise in Washington DC...
North Korea launched four strategic cruise missiles as part of a military exercise, according to state media, to demonstrate its ability to conduct a nuclear counterattack. The launches occurred as the US and South Korea held a simulated military exercise in Washington, DC, to sharpen their response to North Korean nuclear threats.
The four Hwasal-2 missiles were launched from Kim Chaek City in North Hamgyong Province towards the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, according to an English-language report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
After travelling "2,000km-long [1,243-mile] elliptical and eight-shaped flight orbits for 10,208 seconds to 10,224 seconds," they arrived at their destination.
North Korea first tested a long-range cruise missile system in September 2021 and has since described the weapons as "strategic," implying that they are being developed with nuclear warheads in mind.
The latest launches successfully demonstrated North Korea's nuclear combat forces' war readiness, KCNA reported.
According to South Korean lawmakers, who cited intelligence officials, Pyongyang could test-fire ICBMs on a lower, longer trajectory and conduct its seventh nuclear test later this year to perfect its weapons capabilities. Previous launches, however, were not reported by Seoul or Tokyo, which frequently track North Korean launches.
Pyongyang has repeatedly conducted launches, including Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), which according to a report by the US-based Center for International and Strategic Studies, could be considered military exercises rather than development testing. These test launches occur despite sanctions imposed by United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibit nuclear-armed military activities.
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