S. Korea capable of intercepting NK short-range missiles: defense ministry

Published : Mar 30, 2021 - 11:51 Updated : Mar 30, 2021 - 11:51

A new type of a tactical guided missile is launched from the North Korean town of Hamju, South Hamgyong Province, last Thursday, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. South Korea's military said the previous day that the North fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea. (Yonhap)

South Korea has the ability to intercept North Korea's short-range ballistic missiles, the defense ministry said Tuesday, after the North conducted a series of missile tests in recent weeks.

On Thursday, the North fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, the first in about a year, just days after the country fired two cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea.

"South Korea has the ability and the posture to fully intercept North Korea's short-range missiles, including ballistic ones, with the South Korea-US missile defense system," ministry spokesman Boo Seung-chan said.

Asked to comment on the difference in the missiles' flight range assessed by the South's military and that announced by the North, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said they are thoroughly analyzing the projectiles based on information gathered from various sources.

Hours after Thursday's launches, the JCS said the projectiles flew around 450 kilometers, but the North's state media reported the next day the missiles "accurately hit the target set in the waters 600 kilometers off the east coast."

"We explained what was captured at an early stage after they were fired eastward," JCS spokesman Col. Kim Jun-rak said. "We are now thoroughly analyzing them with information gathered from all kinds of different sources. There is no reason to doubt our (detecting) ability." (Yonhap)