(SEOUL) North Korea launched two short-range missiles from a train on Friday, state media said on Saturday, the third weapons test since the start of the year, despite new US sanctions.
Posted yesterday at 8:57 p.m.
The trials were held to “verify and judge the railway regiment’s mastery of action procedures”, Pyongyang’s official KCNA news agency said.
Friday’s launch came after Washington’s decision on Wednesday to impose new financial sanctions on five North Korean nationals, following previous missile tests claimed to be hypersonic.
Friday’s launch “demonstrated high maneuverability and a high success rate,” according to the KCNA.
Discussions have been held “on the establishment of a missile operating system by rail throughout the country”, adds the agency.
The firings took place at 2:41 p.m. and 2:52 p.m. (12:41 a.m. and 12:52 a.m. EST) and the missiles traveled a distance of 432 km at an altitude of 36 km towards the east of the Korean peninsula, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
It was the third North Korean weapons test this month, after two successful hypersonic tests according to Pyongyang, a first on January 5, then a second, supervised in person by leader Kim Jong-un, on January 11.
In response, the United States imposed new sanctions on Pyongyang this week, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying North Korea was likely trying “to attract attention” with the round of missile fire.
Pyongyang accused the United States of “intentionally” aggravating the situation.
Dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington remains deadlocked after talks between Kim Jong-un and then-US President Donald Trump broke down in 2019.
North Korea first conducted a test missile launch from a train in September 2021.