SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korea confirmed on Friday that it had tested a new guided missile, as President Joe Biden warned of the consequences if Pyongyang raises tensions amid stalled nuclear talks.
The North Korean Central News Agency, an official from the North, said the two “new types of tactical-guided projectiles” hit the target on the east coast precisely on Thursday. Photos on the website of the leading North Rodong Sinmun newspaper show a missile taking off from an upright shuttle launcher amid bright flames.
KCNA quoted senior official Ri Pyong Chol, who oversaw the test, saying that the development of the new weapon “is of great importance in strengthening the country’s military power and deterring all types of military threats existing on the Korean Peninsula.”
Japanese officials said both weapons tested on Thursday were ballistic missiles, banned by UN Security Council resolutions. According to South Korean officials, North Korea fired two other missiles on Sunday, but they were probably cruise missiles, which are not banned.
The test shots were the first major provocation in the North since Biden took office in January. Some experts say North Korea intended to put pressure on the Biden government to increase its influence in future negotiations.
“We are consulting with our allies and partners,” Biden said at a news conference on Thursday. “And there will be answers if they decide to scale. We will respond accordingly. But I am also prepared for some form of diplomacy, but it has to be conditioned on the final result of denuclearization. ”
The United States has requested a meeting of the UN Security Council committee that monitors sanctions against North Korea, and is scheduled to take place on Friday morning, behind closed doors. The committee includes representatives from all 15 nations on the board.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who seeks better ties with North Korea, made a rare criticism of Pyongyang on Friday about the launches.
“I know very well that our people have great concerns about North Korea’s missile launches yesterday,” Moon said during a military ceremony. “Now is the time for South and North Korea and the United States to make efforts to (resume) negotiations. An act that disrupts the atmosphere of dialogue is not at all desirable. “
The US-North Korea negotiations on reducing the North’s nuclear ambitions have been in limbo for about two years due to U.S.-led sanctions disputes in the North. In January, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would expand his weapons arsenal and increase his country’s military capacity to face what he called American hostility.
KCNA said the weight of the new weapon’s warhead was increased to 2.5 tonnes (5,510 pounds). Thursday’s test also confirmed the reliability of the enhanced version of the weapon’s solid fuel engine, which would increase the missile’s mobility, and of its maneuverable flight at low altitude.
South Korean observers said the weapon is probably an updated version of the Russian-made Iskander, a short-range nuclear missile designed to fly at low altitude and make orientation adjustments during the flight. They said they had a better chance of escaping South Korea’s missile defense systems.
Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said on Friday that the North Korean weapon is a new type of ballistic missile that was shown during a military parade in Pyongyang in January. Kishi said Japan will strengthen its missile defense system to “guarantee peace and security”.
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Associated Press editors Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.