SEOUL - North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un oversaw tests of a new North Korean rocket system that could bolster his ability to attack Seoul and it may become a weapon he attempts to sell to Russia for use in its assault on Ukraine.
Kim watched the test-fire of a 240-millimetre multiple rocket launcher with shells coming from a newly established arms producer that "would bring about a strategic change in bolstering up the artillery force of the Korean People's Army,” the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Friday.
This is the second test of the device this year reported by state media for what weapons experts said is a guided missile system with an estimated range of between 40 kilometres and 60 kilometres (25 miles to 37 miles). Images from the previous test in February show the rockets were fired from a mobile launcher with a 22-tube configuration.
"North Korea can put the whole Seoul area within its shooting range if these rockets are fired from the front line," said Yang Uk, a research fellow at the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
"It could be meaningful in the exports market, say for Russia, and it could be a useful weapon for the war in Ukraine," he said.
This picture taken on Thursday and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on Friday shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, left, paying a visit to Kim Il Sung Military University in Pyongyang to mark the 92nd anniversary of the founding of North Korea's army.
South Korean Defence Minister Shin Wonsik has said recent tests of weapons overseen by Kim could be part of a demonstration before exporting the arms to Russia for use by President Vladimir Putin for his war on Ukraine.
The United States, South Korea and others have accused North Korea of sending massive amounts of artillery shells as well as its newest family of short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missiles that are easy to hide and quick to deploy. Pyongyang and Moscow have denied the charges.
Russia, in return, is providing North Korea with food, raw materials and parts used in weapons manufacturing, Shin has said. The food aid has helped Kim stabilise prices for necessities, and if the arms transfers grow, Russia will likely send more military technology to Kim, increasing Pyongyang’s threat to the region, Shin added.
The US is set to resume its military aid to Ukraine with an initial tranche valued at US$1 billion. It would include air defence interceptors, artillery rounds, armoured vehicles, and anti-tank weapons — the first transfer from $61 billion in new funding. Ukrainian and US officials acknowledged for the first time the assistance includes the longer-range version of a tactical ballistic missile system known as ATACMS, which Ukraine has long desired in a push to strike deeper into occupied territory.
