Our top story this morning...
North Korea says the missile it launched early Monday was a new type of precision guided
ballistic missile.
If confirmed, this marks another step forward in Pyongyang's rapid advancement in terms
of nuclear weapons technology.
We now connect with our unification ministry correspondent Kwon Jang-Ho for more details.
So yesterday South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was assumed to be Scud-class
missile, something which we have seen before and are familiar with.
But we now understand it's something different?
Yes, Mark.
Pyongyang's state media this morning released a statement saying it is a new type of "ultra-precision"
missile, that can be launched from a mobile launch vehicle.
The Korean Central News Agency reports that Monday's test was a complete success and the
missile hit a planned target point in the East Sea within an accuracy of seven meters.
South Korean and U.S. military sources yesterday said that the missile flew for six minutes,
for a distance of 450 kilometers at an altitude of 120 kilometers.
The state media report also confirms the new rocket is one that was first seen during last
month's military parade marking the birthday of the regime's founder, Kim Il-sung.
Current leader, Kim Jong-un, is said to have personally overseen the launch of this new
missile and is said to have been especially satisfied with the new pre-launch process,
which is said to significantly shorten launch time for rapid deployment.
Kim is also reported to have called for the continued development of more powerful strategic
weapons based on the present success.
We will hopefully be able to bring you more details as South Korean and U.S. military
agencies look to verify these claims.
Back you, Mark.
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