North Korea announced on Thursday that it had conducted a test launch of a new anti-aircraft missile system. Defense analysts say the system appears to be Pyongyang’s version of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
According to Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers’ Party, the test took place on the 24th, with Kim Jong Un personally overseeing the launch.
The state-run newspaper described the weapon as a high-altitude, long-range anti-air missile system and said the launch marked its first test. The missile is widely viewed as North Korea’s attempt to counter the U.S. THAAD system currently deployed in South Korea.
Rodong Sinmun reported that the missile successfully intercepted a simulated target at an altitude of 200 km (124 miles), a performance range comparable to that of the THAAD system.
The newspaper said the test was conducted as part of ongoing efforts by the country’s Missile Bureau and Anti-Aircraft Weapon System Research Institute to strengthen national air defense capabilities. It added that Kim Jong Un expressed satisfaction with the launch’s results.
In response, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) released a statement saying the military had detected North Korea’s missile launch preparations on the 24th and maintained a state of readiness. At approximately 1700 hours, the JCS said it tracked multiple projectiles, believed to be surface-to-air missiles, launched from the Sundeok area of South Hamgyong Province into the East Sea.
The JCS added that South Korea and the United States intelligence authorities are conducting a detailed analysis of the missile’s specifications. It emphasized that the ROK-U.S. combined forces remain fully alert, closely monitoring North Korean activities, and are prepared to respond firmly to any provocations under the bilateral alliance.