North Korea's 'Devil's Weapon' Devastates Island for the First Time... Strikes Area Equal to 18 Soccer Fields Mixed with Air-Dropped Mines

On this day, North Korea released footage showing several Hwasongpo-11-Ra missiles being test-fired from a breakwater in Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, on the 19th, striking an island. Korean Central News Agency/Yonhap News [Financial News] It has been revealed that the new tactical ballistic missile 'Hwasongpo-11-Ra,' launched by North Korea on the 19th, maximized its lethality by including not only cluster warheads but also air-launching mines in its warhead. On the 20th, North Korea released footage showing several Hwasongpo-11-Ra missiles being test-fired from a breakwater in Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, the previous day, striking an island.
The Hwasongpo-11-Ra is referred to as the 'North Korean version of the Iskander. ' The air-launching mines mentioned for the first time on this day appear to be scatter mines that function as mines after being dispersed, rather than exploding immediately upon impact. When scattered, they produce an effect capable of effectively blocking the movement of the opposing military in the affected area.
Furthermore, while North Korea conducted cluster munition tests from the 6th to the 8th, this is the first time footage of the launch has been made public. Cluster munitions contain dozens to hundreds of submunitions within a single warhead; upon exploding in mid-air, the submunitions scatter in all directions. They are difficult to intercept and capable of causing mass casualties, earning them the nickname "the devil's weapon.
" Cluster munitions have recently garnered attention as Iran used them to penetrate Israel's air defense network during the Middle East wars. Iran and North Korea have long been suspected of maintaining close friendly relations, particularly regarding missile development. 5 to 13 hectares on an island 136 kilometers away with extremely high density.
This implies that five missiles devastated an area equivalent to 18 football fields. 5 to 7 hectares during the cluster munitions test launches from the 6th to the 8th. Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, stated, "The 136km radius covers not only Seoul but also the U.
S. Forces Korea base in Pyeongtaek, Osan Air Base, Songtan and Anjung, and the Cheonan and Asan areas. " He added, "It is a system that fills the gap between existing multiple rocket launchers and short-range ballistic missiles, enabling the strike of the 'Capital-Pyeongtaek Corridor,' the most sensitive target group of the ROK-U.
S. alliance. " Im Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, said, "The test launch of the Hwasongpo-11-Ra is, in a word, a demonstration of North Korea's will and capability to strike more precisely, over a wider area, and more brutally.
" He further stated, "It is a strong warning that North Korea intends to immediately paralyze the command and control functions of the South Korean military if the ROK-U. S. alliance attempts to provoke North Korea or take preemptive measures.
" Evaluated. North Korea Test-launches Ballistic Missile Cluster Warhead.
Kim Jong-un Observes (Pyongyang, Korean Central News Agency = Yonhap News) North Korea announced that it has successfully conducted a test launch to evaluate the power of a cluster warhead on a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile. The Korean Central News Agency reported on the 20th, "The General Missile Bureau conducted a test launch on the 19th to evaluate the power of the improved ground-to-ground tactical ballistic missile 'Hwasongpo-11-Ra' type warhead.Kim Jong-un Observes (Pyongyang, Korean Central News Agency = Yonhap News) North Korea announced that it has successfully conducted a test launch to evaluate the power of a cluster warhead on a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile. The Korean Central News Agency reported on the 20th, "The General Missile Bureau conducted a test launch on the 19th to evaluate the power of the improved ground-to-ground tactical ballistic missile 'Hwasongpo-11-Ra' type warhead.
rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter