N.Korean Missile with Russian Writings Fired Last Week Could be S-200: Seoul

South Korea’s defense ministry, on analyzing Russian writings on one of the missiles fired by the North last week, deducted that it could be the SA-5 (S-200).

The missile flew southward on Nov. 2 past the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea.

The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) used a remotely-operated underwater vehicle to retrieve remnants of the missile and spotted Russian writing on it, the ministry said.

A military official told reporters that it was not yet clear whether this missile was Russia-made or not.

The debris is around 3m long and 2m wide, and assessed to be that of an "SA-5" surface-to-air missile, given its appearance and feature.

It appears that Pyongyang assembled imported parts of the weapon developed in the Soviet Era. The SA-5 is known to have a maximum range of 260-300km, flying at an apogee of some 40km. Also known as the S-200, the missile uses a liquid-fuel main engine. It can be used for a ground-to-ground strike purpose, and Russia recently used a similar missile in its war in Ukraine.

The South’s military had initially assessed the missile at the time of its launch as an short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) based on its trajectory, saying it marks the first time the North has sent a ballistic missile toward the South since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. It flew 190 km at an apogee of over 100 km, it said.