North Korea said it has conducted a test of a 'super-large warhead' for a strategic cruise missile and test-fired a new anti-aircraft missile.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on April 20 that the North Korean General Rocket Bureau tested a warhead designed for the Hwasal-1 Ra-3 strategic cruise missile and test-fired a new Pyoljji-1-2 air defense missile in the Yellow Sea on April 19. KCNA stressed that the test-launch achieved "certain goals."
This is the first time Pyongyang has named a missile “Pyoljji,” which means “shooting star” in Korean.
The South Korean military confirmed that it detected a series of cruise missiles and anti-aircraft missiles fired toward the Yellow Sea at around 3:30 p.m. on April 19, and is currently analyzing detailed technical specifications.
“Our military has been closely monitoring signs of North Korea’s provocations and military activities and maintaining a strong combined defense posture,” the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
Notably, on February 3, North Korea announced that it had tested the super-large warhead power of a cruise missile and test-launched a new type of anti-aircraft missile in the Yellow Sea the day before.