DPRK continues advancing multiple-rocket launchers

DPRK tests newly developed missiles?

SEOUL -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) continued advancing its multiple-rocket launchers by lengthening a flying range and adding functions, ROK's Defense Ministry said Friday.

Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told a routine press briefing that the DPRK has continued to enhance its large-caliber multiple-rocket launchers to follow the global trend, noting that its weapons got to have a longer range and added functions such as the guided system.

His comments came a day after the DPRK fired three short-range projectiles from the southeastern region toward its eastern waters.

The projectiles, which flew about 190 km, were not exactly in line with any weapons, which South Korea claimed the DPRK has.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff estimated those might be 300- milimeter multiple-rocket launchers termed by South Korea as KN-09 with a range of 150-160 km or its modified version.

The spokesman said the projectiles may be a newly developed weapon for the DPRK's part, but he said it was in a par with weapons already developed by other countries. He added the flying range of such weapons kept rising gradually.

The DPRK's official KCNA news agency said earlier in the day that top DPRK leader Kim Jong-un "guided" the test-launch of newly developed tactical guided missiles, indicating Thursday's projectiles were the guided missiles.

If those projectiles were fired from the modified multiple- rocket launchers, it would pose a great threat to South Korea.

The Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD), which Seoul has sought to build up to intercept ballistic missiles from the DPRK, could not shoot down those short-range projectiles as the KAMD is a defense system for missiles.

Those projectiles, which flew 190 km, can directly strike the headquarters of South Korea's Army, Navy and Air Forces located some 130 km south of Seoul.

The DPRK fired 90 short- and medium-range missiles and projectiles, including 300mm multiple-rocket launchers, Scud and Rodong missiles as well as FROG surface-to-surface missiles, from February 21 to March 26 in protest against the joint military drills between Seoul and Washington.

The two Koreas exchanged artillery fires in the disputed western sea border on May 22, some two months after trading hundreds of artillery shells in late March.