South Korea’s military said on January 28 that North Korea had continued its recent wave of weapons tests, raising tensions with the United States, South Korea and Japan. The missiles flew over waters near a major military base on the country’s east coast.The launches come after North Korea conducted several cruise missile tests last week and on January 14 fired the country’s first solid-fueled medium-range ballistic missile. The tests reflect efforts by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to increase the number of warheads in his arsenal, designed to defeat the missile defenses of Japan and South Korea, as well as more distant American targets in the Pacific Ocean, such as. like Guam.

South Korea’s chiefs of staff said they saw missiles over the sea near the North Korean port of Sinpo, where North Korea has a major shipyard that produces key naval vessels, including missile-firing submarines.South Korea’s military did not immediately release specific launch details, such as the number of missiles fired, their altitude and whether they were launched from land or sea.As Kim continues to accelerate his weapons development and provocatively threatens nuclear war with the United States and its Asian allies, tensions on the Korean Peninsula have increased in recent months.

In response, the United States, South Korea and Japan have stepped up joint military exercises, which Kim calls offensive drills, and perfected their deterrence tactics that focus on U.S. nuclear assets.North Korea said the new Pulhwasal-3-31 cruise missile it launched last week was used in a test it said was part of the country’s routine operation and ongoing military development activities. The North may have wanted to arm it with nuclear bombs when it called the missile “strategic”.In addition to its extensive arsenal of ballistic missiles, which includes ICBMs designed to reach the US mainland, North Korea also possesses cruise missiles.

Although North Korea’s cruise missile operations are not specifically prohibited by UN sanctions, experts believe that these weapons could seriously threaten South Korea and Japan. They are made to fly like small planes and travel over terrain that can make radar detection difficult.North Korea has tested what it says are long-range cruise missiles, which it has launched at least ten times since 2021, from both land and water. The nation insists its weapons are nuclear capable and have a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles), which would allow them to reach US military installations in Japan.