North Korea Believed To Be Operating Over 200 Missile Launchers

South Korean authorities believe that North Korea may have up to 200 mobile missile launchers, or twice the number previously estimated by Seoul, according to reports.

South Korea’s state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) said that in line with a report submitted to the US Congress by the Pentagon, North Korea has probably accumulated up to 200 so-called transporter erector launchers (TEL), including up to 100 for short-range Scud missiles, 50 for medium-range Nodong missiles and 50 for long-range Musudan missiles, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Seoul had earlier estimated that Pyongyang possessed no more than 94 mobile launchers.

“The US report shows that North Korea is bent on expanding its missile program despite its continued economic difficulties. It is especially focused on certain asymmetric areas that can pose a threat to South Korea and US forces stationed in the South,” KIDA researcher Kim Sung-kurl said as quoted by Yonhap.