13 October,2026 10:28 AM IST | Seoul | mid-day online correspondent
Pic/AFP
North Korea has test-fired a tactical ballistic missile to improve a key component of its weapons systems, describing the test as a "big success", state media reported on Tuesday.
The announcement came a day after South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) detected multiple ballistic missiles launched from the Pyongyang area towards the East Sea.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea's missile administration conducted the test on October 12 to assess improvements to an important component of its weapons technology.
The missile administration "test-fired a tactical ballistic missile on October 12 to confirm the success in the research for the technical upgrading of an important core element," Yonhap reported, citing KCNA.
The administration described the upgrade as "a big success heralding an important change in improving the performance and sophistication of all offensive weapon systems".
North Korea did not disclose further details about the missile, its specifications or the precise nature of the technological improvements. State media described the test as part of the country's regular activities.
South Korea's JCS said North Korea had launched multiple types of ballistic missiles, with one travelling more than 900 kilometres. South Korean and US authorities were analysing the specifications of the projectiles.
"They may have fired a short-range ballistic missile at maximum range, or it is also possible that they fired a medium-range ballistic missile at a reduced range," JCS spokesperson Capt. Jang Do-young said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Short-range ballistic missiles generally have a range of 300 to 1,000 kilometres, while medium-range ballistic missiles typically cover distances of 1,000 to 3,000 kilometres.
Jang reiterated that South Korea and the United States maintained a strong combined defence posture and were "fully capable" of detecting and intercepting North Korean missiles.
Japan's Defence Ministry said North Korea had fired at least two ballistic missiles on Monday. One travelled approximately 220 kilometres, while the other covered more than 910 kilometres.
US Pacific Command (PACOM) also said Monday's launches involved two ballistic missiles.
The launches marked North Korea's 16th ballistic missile launch of the year, according to the report, and came nine days after its previous launch on October 3.
The latest North Korean launches came four days after South Korea announced the successful test-firing of a domestically developed hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV). President Lee Jae Myung attended the event.
Hypersonic weapons travel at speeds of Mach 5 or faster and can manoeuvre along unconventional trajectories, potentially making them more difficult to track and intercept.
South Korea's disclosure of the test was viewed as a demonstration of its deterrence capabilities amid tensions with North Korea. The announcement followed a land mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on September 21 that injured three South Korean soldiers.
(With inputs from IANS)
