KCNA stated that on 12 October, the DPRK tested a tactical ballistic missile to verify an upgraded component of the system. On the same day, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff recorded several ballistic missile launches from the Pyongyang area, with at least one missile travelling over 900 kilometres.
Briefly about the main points
- KCNA announced a test of a tactical ballistic missile on 12 October.
- South Korea has recorded several launches, one of which travelled over 900 kilometres.
- Japan reported at least two missiles with ranges of around 220 and over 910 kilometres.
- The Hwasong-20 and other weapons systems were displayed at a museum in North Korea.
- The museum exhibition and the rocket launches were separate events.
What Pyongyang said and what its neighbours observed
On 13 October, the North Korean news agency KCNA reported that the DPRK’s Missile Bureau had conducted a test of a «tactical ballistic missile» the previous day. According to the agency, the test was intended to confirm the technical modernisation of a key component of the country’s missile arsenal.
KCNA did not specify the modernised component nor did it disclose the missile’s technical specifications. On the same day, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported several ballistic missile launches from the Pyongyang area towards the East Sea.
The KCNA report of a single test and South Korea’s data on several launches do not provide grounds for equating all the missiles recorded with the one that Pyongyang described as a tactical missile. South Korean and US experts were still analysing the types and parameters of the launches.
Range of launches and preliminary assessment by the military
According to the South Korean military, at least one missile travelled more than 900 kilometres. The Japanese side also reported at least two launches: the range of one missile was estimated at approximately 220 kilometres, and that of the other at over 910 kilometres.
According to Japanese sources, the missiles fell outside the country’s exclusive economic zone; there have been no reports of damage to ships or aircraft. This was the DPRK’s fourth launch in the last month.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff have tentatively suggested that the launches may have been in response to the recent test of a South Korean hypersonic glide vehicle. This is the military’s assessment, not a confirmed cause of the launches.
Kim Jong-un has opened a museum featuring rockets and drones
Separately, KCNA reported that the opening of the Museum of the Defence Revolution on 11 October. The ceremony was attended by Kim Jong-un together with his wife Ri Sol Ju, her daughter Kim Ju-ae and representatives of the military leadership.
The exhibition featured the Hwasong-20, which the DPRK describes as an intercontinental ballistic missile currently under development. Also on display were drones, a new submarine-launched ballistic missile and 600-millimetre multiple launch rocket systems.
Kim Jong-un has stated his intention to continue developing the defence industry and military technology. The systems on display at the museum, including the Hwasong-20, are not believed to be linked to the test carried out on 12 October, the details of which are still being analysed.
