N. Korea fires 'several' cruise missiles into West Sea, experts say they pose real threat

합참 “북한, 서해 일대에서 순항미사일 수 발 발사“ Good evening. It's 9 PM here in Seoul. Thank you for joining us on Arirang News. This morning, North Korea fired a number of cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea, coming just 10 days after its last missile provocation. Our North Korean affairs correspondent Kim Jung-sil has how much of a threat the cruise missiles can pose. Another missile provocation by Pyongyang. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles at around 7 AM on Wednesday into its waters in the West Sea. It added that the military had increased surveillance activities and was closely coordinating with the U.S. It's been 10 days since Pyongyang last carried out a missile provocation. On January 14th, the regime claimed it had successfully launched a hypersonic solid-fueled intermediate-range ballistic missile. Experts say cruise missiles can fly very low and are harder to detect as they are beneath radar coverage. Cruise missiles can also hit targets precisely from long range, which is why North Korea is developing them as a military option. But since they are slow, they can be shot down if detected. Ballistic missiles, on the other hand, are powered initially by a rocket, and because of their high speed are extremely difficult to shoot down. It's for these reasons the UN Security Council has only banned North Korean ballistic missile launches. But the experts say North Korea's cruise missiles can pose just as much of a threat. “It's not a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, but last year, when North Korea unveiled its tactical Hwasan-31 nuclear warhead, it claimed the weapon could be carried on a cruise missile. So, they still pose a great threat.“ Another expert, a former commander of South Korea's Special Forces, said military provocations by Pyongyang pose a threat to not only South Korea but to the world. “North Korea is known for its very belligerent language and because North Korea exports these weapons it has worldwide implications.“ General Chun added that the South Korean military will remain vigilant at all times. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News. #Southkorea #NorthKorea #Missile #Provocation #대한민국 #북한 #순항미사일 #도발 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2024-01-24, 21:00 (KST)