N. KOREA REPORTS ON MISSILE LAUNCH

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea has claimed that the two short-range projectiles launched yesterday were tests of its super-large multiple rocket launcher. The North's state media released images of the launch, but leader Kim Jong-un was seemed to be absent from the site.

[Pkg]

A blazing projectile is fired from a mobile launching vehicle. It is a short-range projectile launched early yesterday morning by North Korea toward the East Sea. The North's Rodong Sinmun released photos of yesterday's launches and said the regime tested its "super-large multiple rocket launcher." The newspaper added that the Academy of Defense Sciences carried out the test launches to once again verify the weapon's tactical and technical characteristics. The regime claimed that the test launches were successful. However, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un didn't appear to have attended the test as he was not seen in the photographs. The newspaper instead reported that Vice Director of Munitions Industry Department Ri Pyong-chol of the KWP Central Committee oversaw the test along with high-ranking officials from his department and the Academy of Defense Sciences. North Korea had fired two short-range projectiles toward the East Sea from Wonsan, Gangwon-do Province at 6:10 AM yesterday. This marked the fourth launch in this month alone. The projectiles flew 230 kilometers and reached a peak altitude of 30 kilometers. The launch interval was about 20 seconds. The South Korean military believes the projectiles were short-range ballistic missiles which were tested to increase the accuracy of the weapons system. Immediately following the launch, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff criticized the test launches as very improper when the whole world is suffering with COVID-19 and urged Pyongyang to stop its military action immediately. The head of the National Security Office at Cheong Wa Dae called an emergency video conference with the defense minister and the chief of the National Intelligence Service and instructed the country's military to maintain readiness.