NKorea Test Fires New Strategic Cruise Missile

Facts

• According to state media, North Korea tested a new type of nuclear-capable 'strategic cruise missile,' dubbed Pulhwasal-3-31, on Wednesday.¹
• Though it released a picture showing flames spewing out of a slender missile with a rounded tip, state media did not disclose further details, such as the distance of the flight.²
• Meanwhile, South Korea claims that Pyongyang had fired several cruise missiles, which reportedly flew in a circular trajectory into waters off its western coast around 7 a.m. local time.³
• Unlike ballistic missiles, UN Security Council resolutions haven't banned North Korea from developing cruise missiles, which are harder to detect by radar as they fly at a comparatively lower speed and altitude.⁴
• Wednesday's missile test follows the launch of its solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile on Jan. 1, which Pyongyang claims has the capacity to attack US military bases in Japan and Guam.⁵
• This news comes amid the South Korean Navy's special warfare unit's 10-day training on the east coast, which Seoul claims is designed to bolster operational readiness.⁶

Sources: ¹NK News, ²NHK, ³Korea Herald, ⁴Koreajoongangdaily, ⁵FOX News and ⁶Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Anti-North Korea Narrative, as provided by Voice of America. North Korea has once again carried out astonishingly dangerous and destabilizing actions that will further escalate regional tensions, despite repeated calls for Pyongyang to return to diplomatic negotiations. Stability and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula depends on inter-Korean cooperation and the complete denuclearization of the North.
• Pro-North Korea narrative, as provided by KCNA Watch. The hype over Wednesday's missile test illustrates how the US and its allies seek to smear North Korea at every opportunity. This launch was merely a routine part of the continuous updating of Pyongyang's weapon system and had nothing to do with jeopardizing its neighbors' security.

Predictions