N. Korea says midair explosion of its missile in June was intentional

North Korea‘s main propaganda outlet claimed Wednesday that the recent midair explosion of a ballistic missile was intentional, calling it a test attack on enemy satellites.

North Korea’s Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile was detected to have burst into pieces midair after flying some 150 km after its launch on June 22.

North Korea fired off another missile hours later, which soared to an altitude exceeding 1,000 km and flew some 400 km before landing in the East Sea.

The first missile launch seemed to have ended in failure.

Still, North Korea‘s main propaganda website, Uriminzokkiri, claimed Wednesday that the midair explosion of the first missile was carried out by a control device installed in the missile and was not an accident.

The website also claimed that North Korea could render U.S. spy satellites lumps of scrap metal if Pyongyang detonates an electromagnetic pulse bomb at a high attitude after delivering it via one of its missiles.

North Korea has long been believed to be developing electromagnetic pulse weapons that can destroy electronic and electrical devices.

South Korean analysts said the North’s move could be aimed at causing confusion with outside assessment of its missile capability and boasting of its military prowess. (Yonhap)