OMM Newsroom
North Korea launched several missiles into the sea near its east coast on Wednesday. AnewZ, citing South Korea’s Defense Ministry, reported that it was Pyongyang’s fourth weapons launch in a month.
The missiles were launched from the Sondok area on North Korea’s east coast. South Korea and the United States are analyzing the tests and remain on alert for possible further provocations, the ministry said.
North Korea has conducted several weapons tests this year, including the launch of a missile that traveled more than 900 kilometers and tests involving hypersonic missiles. The latest launches have heightened concerns about the expansion of North Korea’s missile capabilities and possible military cooperation with Russia.
Kim Yo Jong rules out talks with Washington
Several hours before the missile launches, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected the possibility of talks with Washington. She said negotiations would not take place unless the United States abandoned what she called its hostile policy toward North Korea.
Kim also denied North Korea’s involvement in a cyberattack on cryptocurrency exchange Binance and rejected allegations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that Pyongyang was behind the theft.
North Korean state media reported separately on the missile tests that Kim Jong Un had visited a military shipyard where a destroyer is being built. During the visit, he stressed the importance of strengthening the navy as part of the country’s military development.
Tests raise prospect of serial production
Lee Chun-geun, a missile expert and board member of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), said the latest tests could indicate that North Korea is nearing the final stages of preparing its missiles for mass production. Missiles must undergo extensive testing before production and military deployment, he said.
Lee added that Pyongyang could conduct further tests before potentially beginning large-scale missile exports to Russia. The missiles may need to be inspected before shipments begin.
