North Korea fires two unidentified projectiles as it resumes weapons demonstrations

Kim Jong-un began the New Year vowing to bolster his nuclear deterrent in face of ‘gangster-like’ US sanctions and pressure

The lack of activity has given rise to speculation that North Korea has instead been distracted by the deadly coronavirus outbreak

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Photo: AP

Published: 12:51pm, 2 Mar 2020Updated: 4:16pm, 2 Mar 2020

North Korea fired two unidentified projectiles into its eastern sea on Monday as it begins to resume weapons demonstrations after a months-long hiatus that could have been forced by the coronavirus crisis in Asia.

The launches from an area near Wonsan came two days after North Korea’s state media said leader Kim Jong-un supervised an artillery drill aimed at testing the combat readiness of units in front-line and eastern areas.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the launches in a statement but could not immediately say how far the projectiles flew or whether the weapons were ballistic or rocket artillery.

The projectiles flew about 240km, reaching an altitude of 35km, South Korea’s defence ministry said, which would be similar to some short-range ballistic missiles launched in 2019. The office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed “strong concern” about the launches after a special meeting of security ministers on Monday, saying the tests were likely conducted as part of military drills.

Kim had entered the New Year vowing to bolster his nuclear deterrent in face of “gangster-like” US sanctions and pressure, using a key ruling party meeting in late December to warn of “shocking” action over stalled nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration.

He also said the North would soon reveal a new “strategic weapon” and insisted the North was no longer “unilaterally bound” to a self-imposed suspension on the testing of nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

But the lack of testing activity in past months had experts wondering whether the North was holding back its weapons displays while pushing a tough campaign to against the coronavirus, which state media has described as a matter of “national existence”.

South Korea’s security ministers on Monday expressed “strong concern” the North was “carrying out actions giving rise to military tensions”, the presidential Blue House said.