North Korea Test Fires Anti-Ship Rockets

North Korea test-fired a newly deployed anti-ship rockets, after a month of the country’s claim that its navy tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile, various media reported today.

The “highly intelligent” rockets accurately detected and hit their target. The North’s leader Kim Jong Un called it a “milestone” in bolstering the naval force, Korean Central News Agency said Monday. However, the report did not say when or where the drill took place nor revealed the specifications of the rockets.

“It appears they are in the development stage of replacing their Soviet-made rockets with North Korean-made ones,” South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min Seok said at a briefing.

“The test-firing appears to be aimed at enhancing their precision.” Seok added. 

The leader also watched a submarine firing a ballistic missile at sea, KCNA reported in early May. South Korea has downplayed the May firing as an ejection test that marks an initial stage in the development of a submarine-launched missile.

North Korea is banned from testing or developing ballistic missiles under United Nations Security Council resolutions imposed over its nuclear tests and long-range rocket launches.

The country’s foreign ministry said Sunday it would continue rocket launches to put satellites in orbit. The US and South Korea have called North Korea’s rocket launches tests of long-range ballistic missiles that could carry nuclear warheads.