NewsNorth Korea fires cruise missiles from east coast; Kim warns of 'merciless consequences'

North Korea fires cruise missiles from east coast; Kim warns of 'merciless consequences'

The issued statement indicates another missile test from North Korea is currently under examination by the intelligence services of the United States and South Korea.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - 2024/01/25: People are seen watching television at Seoul's Yongsan Railway Station showing North Korea's first test-firing of the new strategic cruise missile Pulhwasal-3-31. On January 25, North Korea announced the test-firing of a new strategic cruise missile, the "Pulhwasal-3-31," aimed at enhancing its nuclear weapon delivery capabilities. The Missile General Bureau labeled the test as part of routine weapon system updates. Experts suggest it may be a short-range missile, indicated by its shorter length compared to previous models like the Hwasal-type cruise missiles, where "Hwasal" translates to "arrow" in Korean, and "Pulhwasal" means "fire arrow.". (Photo by Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Images source: © GETTY | SOPA Images

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2:22 AM EST, January 28, 2024

The missiles were detected over the North Korean port of Sinpo, a location housing a large shipyard where warships, including missile-armed submarines, are constructed.

Only a few days prior, Pyongyang conducted a test involving a new strategic cruise missile, the Pulhwasal-3-31, suggesting this missile could potentially carry nuclear warheads.

Kim warns the West of "Merciless consequences"

Reuters has noted that in recent times, North Korea has escalated its confrontations with the United States, South Korea and their allies. Despite this, according to official sources from Washington and Seoul, there are no indicators suggesting that North Korea plans to take any immediate military action.

In related news, the North Korean news agency, KCNA, issued another statement on Sunday, criticizing a series of maneuvers by US and South Korean troops and warning of "merciless consequences".