North Korea conducts fifth cruise missile launch of year

North Korea on Wednesday conducted a launch of cruise missiles for the fifth time since the start of the year.

“Our military detected several unidentified cruise missiles off the northeast coast of Wonsan, Gangwon Province, at around 9 a.m. the details of which are being closely analyzed by the intelligence agencies of South Korea and the US,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The JCS said the South Korean military was “working closely with the US side amid heightened surveillance and vigilance, watching for further signs of North Korean activities.”

Wednesday’s firing comes about two weeks since North Korea tested cruise missiles along with new anti-aircraft missiles in the sea off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula on Feb. 2.

On Jan. 30, Hwasal cruise missiles were fired into the waters near the west coast. On Jan. 24 and 28, several new strategic missiles called Pulhwasal were launched near the capital Pyongyang and the Sinpo submarine base, respectively.

The recent streak of cruise missile firings may be intended to show off North Korea’s ability to deploy advanced cruise missiles on top of ballistic missiles for actual use, according to Yang Uk, a research fellow at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies.

“These launches may be aimed at demonstrating that cruise missiles will be ready for deployment within this year. It is also possible they have already been deployed,” he told The Korea Herald.

Cruise missiles fly at a lower altitude than ballistic missiles, making them more capable of evading detection. The two types of Hwasal cruise missiles can travel for a distance of 1,500 to 2,000 kilometers, which means they could reach anywhere in South Korea.