North Korea fired a series of cruise missiles on Sunday morning (January 28), adding to the heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula in recent times. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that the launches occurred around 8:00 AM local time in the waters near the Sinpo Port.
"Our military detected several unknown cruise missiles fired near the waters around the Sinpo region of North Korea at 8:00 AM today," stated the South Korean JCS Chief, as quoted by AFP on Sunday (28/1).
South Korea mentioned that intelligence authorities from South Korea and the United States are currently analyzing the missile launches, closely monitoring any other movements or activities from North Korea.
This missile launch by North Korea follows a few days after they fired a number of strategic cruise missiles named Pulhwasal-3-31 into the Yellow Sea on Wednesday (24/1). The launch was described as the first test of the new generation of strategic cruise missiles.
According to The Korea Times, experts suggest that Pulhwasal-3-31 appears to be a nuclear-capable cruise missile, given that the number in its name is identical to Hwasan-31, a tactical nuclear warhead first launched by North Korea in March 2023.
Since the beginning of the year, Pyongyang has accelerated weapon tests, including a "submarine-launched nuclear weapon system" and solid-fuel hypersonic ballistic missiles, amid heightened tensions with South Korea.
Unlike ballistic missiles, the testing of cruise missiles is not prohibited under United Nations (UN) sanctions against North Korea. This is because cruise missiles are jet-propelled and fly at lower altitudes than more advanced ballistic missiles, making them difficult to detect and intercept.
However, the launch poses a serious threat to South Korea's security, as nuclear warheads could potentially be mounted on such missiles.
In recent times, North Korea has increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula by conducting various weapon tests in response to joint military exercises conducted by South Korea and the United States. North Korea perceives these joint exercises as a threat to its territory, leading Pyongyang to repeatedly launch different types of missiles and drones to the border as a protest against the drills.
North Korea's first missile launch of the year occurred on January 14 when they fired a solid-fuel hypersonic missile into the East Sea, prompting retaliatory exercises and evacuation orders on several South Korean border islands.