South Korea’s military shared a video on Friday showing a North Korean missile spinning out of control and exploding shortly after launch. This is an unusual move by South Korea, intended to challenge North Korea’s claim of a successful missile test.
The video, captured by a thermal observation device from South Korean frontline units, shows the missile on an erratic flight path before it disintegrates. According to a statement from the South Korean military, the missile’s explosion was due to “instability during flight.” The military described North Korea’s claims of a successful test as “deception and exaggeration to cover up the failure.”
North Korean state media had reported that Pyongyang conducted a successful test on Wednesday, which they said was aimed at developing missiles capable of deploying multiple warheads. However, South Korea rejected this claim.
According to North Korea’s official KCNA news agency, the test involved using the first-stage engine of a solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile to test the separation and guidance of multiple warheads.
South Korea’s military reported that it detected signs of missile launch preparations early on Wednesday and monitored the launch closely. This comes after North Korea announced in April that it had tested a new solid-fuel hypersonic missile with an intermediate range.
This missile is part of a growing effort to develop the next generation of long-range rockets that are difficult to track and intercept.
The ongoing missile tests and developments highlight the escalating arms race in the region. Both North and South Korea continue to enhance their military capabilities amid rising tensions.
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