North Korea fired what appeared to be cruise missiles off its east coast and air-to-ground missiles from fighter jets into the East Sea on Tuesday.
Known in North Korea as the Kumsong-3 and to foreign analysts as the KN-19, the missile was last seen in June 2017 when Kim Jong-un witnessed its first test-firing. The surface-to-ship cruise missiles were fired northeastward from areas near its eastern coastal town of Munchon at around 7 a.m. during a time period of more than 40 minutes, they flew around 150 kilometers before splashing into waters off the east coast, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
The fifth missile launch so far this year came on the eve of the birthday of the country’s founder, the late Kim Il-sung, often the occasion for displays of military strength. Along with the missile launches, the North flew Sukhoi-variant fighter jets and MiG-type planes above the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, and fired multiple air-to-ground missiles into the East Sea, the JCS added. It was not immediately known if leader Kim Jong-un guided the latest firings.
