North Korea’s ‘new guided weapon’ designed for ground combat, not a ballistic missile, says South’s military

North’s news agency claimed the test-firing was of ‘weighty significance’ but did not specify the type of weapon

US did not register any indication of a launch of any type of short-range tactical weapon

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People watch a photo showing North Korea's ‘missile launch’ on Thursday. Photo: AP

Published: 4:02pm, 19 Apr 2019Updated: 4:41pm, 19 Apr 2019

The “new tactical guided weapon” that North Korea said it test-fired this week is believed to be a guided weapon for ground combat, not a ballistic missile that would have constituted a breach of sanctions, a South Korean official said on Friday.

On Thursday, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the test-firing of a new “tactical guided weapon”, touting its development as an “event of very weighty significance” in strengthening its military power.

But KCNA did not specify what the newly developed weapon was, prompting US and South Korean intelligence authorities to pore over data to determine what the test was about.

“We suspect it was a guided weapon used in ground battles. We do not see it as a ballistic missile,” the military Joint Chiefs of Staff told journalists.

“This assessment was jointly made by South Korea and the United States. We cannot give further details as they are matters of military intelligence,” he said.