NORTH KOREA'S BALLISTIC MISSILES

[Anchor Lead]

We reported yesterday that North Korea fired two projectiles into the East Sea on Thursday morning. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced early today, that the pair of short-range projectiles are viewed as new types of ballistic missiles. Correcting the information they released yesterday, the JCS also announced that both missiles traveled more than 600km.

[Pkg]

​​North Korea fired two projectiles into the East Sea at 5:34 a.m. and 5:57 a.m. Thursday local time. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Friday that the short-range missiles were a new type of ballistic missiles similar to Russia's Iskander. Both projectiles flew around 600 kilometers according to the updated data based on the analysis conducted jointly by Seoul and Washington's intel authorities. They were initially presumed to have flown 430 km and 690 km, respectively. The range is enough to cover the entire South Korean territory even if the missile is fired from the central part of the regime. Both missiles were fired from a transporter erector launcher, which makes it difficult to predict their launches. The missiles covered an unusually long distance, prompting observers to conclude that it was an advanced type of the KN-23 short-range ballistic missile, an upgraded version of the Russian Iskander missile. This means the latest launch was likely a test of an upgraded version of the KN-23 missile fired back in May.

[Soundbite] SHIN JONG-WOO(KOREA DEFENSE AND SECURITY FORUM) : "Because the new missile flew about 200km more than the one fired in May, it is highly likely to be a new type or an upgraded model of the Iskander missile."

Another factor adding weight to this speculation is the location of the launch: the missiles were fired from the Hodo Peninsula in Wonsan, which is known as the test-site of new missiles and weapon systems.

[Soundbite] AHN KYU-BAEK(NATIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEE) : "The missile test on May 4 was unsuccessful judging by the distance covered then, so the recent launches are likely a re-test of those missiles."

It is also possible that the recently fired missile was a completely new type of weapon rather than an upgraded version of an existing projectile. South Korea's military says additional analysis of the specifications of the North's latest short-range missile is needed.