Overview
- South Korea and Japan reported that North Korea launched two short-range missiles from the Wonsan area on Sept. 20 that splashed down in waters off Japan and called emergency consultations in response.
- Pyongyang’s missile bureau declared the exercise a successful test of a “new type of weapon” and state media published images labeled “Hwasongpho-11Ma-1 flight trajectory.”
- Analysts told AFP and other outlets the projectiles appear to be an upgraded Hwasongpho-11Ma-1 hypersonic short-range missile with an estimated range of 450 to 600 kilometers and terminal-phase maneuvers that make tracking and interception more difficult.
- South Korea, Japan and the U.S. are sharing tracking and technical data and have warned that a single test does not prove full operational capability while they continue flight-data analysis.
- The launches violate U.N. resolutions and highlight growing security risks as Pyongyang uses tests for domestic signaling and possible external demand, including suspected ties with Russia that could affect regional arms flows and military readiness.