Amid rising tensions between South Korea and its allies, North Korea claimed on Thursday that it had tested a new cruise missile system capable of launching a nuclear warhead.
North Korea state media Said It said the Purwasar-3-31 missile system was still in the development stage and Wednesday's launch posed no threat to neighboring countries. The agency did not disclose details of the missile's flight characteristics.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch had a shorter trajectory than most missile tests and may have been aimed at improving existing systems.
The country's second launch this year follows another missile system test earlier this month. North Korea claimed the missile was a solid-fuel intermediate ballistic missile capable of targeting Japanese and American military bases in the Pacific Ocean.
Yang Wook, a South Korean defense analyst, told The Associated Press that the increase in experimental system tests is likely due to North Korea's increasing number of experimental system tests, as it is believed to be shipping supplies to Russia for use against Ukraine. He said this may indicate a shortage of missiles.
Both North Korea and Russia deny cooperation, but U.S. and South Korean officials insist there is a secret arms deal.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has stepped up his threats against the United States, South Korea and Japan in recent months as allies step up military cooperation.
Mr. Kim denounced the joint military exercises as a “rehearsal for invasion” and threatened a nuclear attack.
The Associated Press contributed.
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