North Korea claims to have tested new strategic cruise missile

Pyongyang, DPRK, (Svidomi) — On January 24, North Korea conducted the first flight test of a new cruise missile Pulhwasal-3-31. This cruise missile launch was the first in the new year and the first since the last such launch in September 2023, Yonhap news agency reported.

North Korea's Missile General Bureau said the test was "a process of constant updating of the weapon system and a regular and obligatory activity of the agency and its affiliated defense science institutes".

The report did not provide details on how far the missile flew, adding that the test did not affect the security of neighbouring countries and was not related to the current regional situation.

South Korea's military said that North Korea's latest launch appears to be aimed at improving the capabilities of existing cruise missiles, but did not provide further details.

"The flight distance of North Korea's cruise missiles fired the previous day was shorter compared with previous launches," Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a regular press briefing.

South Korean analysts say that the Pulhwasal-3-31 is considered a nuclear weapon because the number in the missile's name is identical to the Hwasan-31 missile, which North Korea first showed in March 2023.

The Yonhap news agency says the cruise missile launch is not a direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions prohibiting the DPRK's use of ballistic missile technology. However, it could pose a serious threat to the country's security, as such missiles can be equipped with nuclear warheads.