North Korea said Monday it test-launched ballistic missiles with cluster bomb warheads in the second such test this month, likely underscoring its push to expand its capabilities to penetrate U.S. and South Korean defenses. Kim wasn’t alone in overseeing the tests; he was joined by his teenage daughter.
North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) appeared to refer to the multiple ballistic missile launches South Korea, Japan and the US detected Sunday off North Korea’s east coast. KCNA also released pictures of the same, which showed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter, both wearing black leather jackets, watching from a coastal observation point.
South Korea’s spy service recently assessed that the daughter, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae, could be considered Kim’s heir.
Which missiles were tested and what are their capabilities?
Kim oversaw the launches of five upgraded surface-to-surface Hwasong-11 Ra ballistic missiles with cluster bomb warheads and fragmentation mine warheads, KCNA said. The missiles struck an island target and Kim expressed satisfaction over the launches, saying, “It is of weighty significance in military actions to boost the high-density striking capability.”
In the earlier launch this month, North Korea tested Hwasong-11 Ka surface-to-surface ballistic missiles with cluster bomb warheads that it said “can reduce to ashes any target covering an area of 6.5-7 hectares (16 to 17.2 acres).”
Cluster munitions are designed to burst open mid-air, dispersing multiple smaller bomblets over a wide area, making them difficult to intercept and increasing their destructive reach.
Why are cluster warhead tests drawing attention?
North Korea has tested cluster bomb warheads before. But observers say the ongoing Iran war may have prompted Pyongyang to highlight such capabilities and accelerate development of advanced variants. The destructiveness of cluster munitions has been in focus in the ongoing conflict, with Israel accusing Iran of using such weapons to challenge its air defenses.
While more than 120 countries have signed an international treaty banning cluster munitions, North Korea, Iran, Israel and the United States are not among them.
How do these tests fit into North Korea’s broader weapons push?
North Korea has been pushing to expand its nuclear arsenal and acquire an array of high-tech weapons since Kim’s nuclear diplomacy with US President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019.
Among the systems under development are multi-warhead nuclear missiles, hypersonic weapons and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Such capabilities, if operationalised, would significantly increase North Korea’s ability to evade or overwhelm U.S. and South Korean missile defense systems.
Repeated missile launches, including multiple tests in April, reflect a continued pattern of weapons development and operational signalling by Pyongyang.
Meanwhile, with back-to-back missile tests this month, including the use of cluster warhead configurations, North Korea appears to be continuing its focus on enhancing strike capabilities and diversifying its missile arsenal. The launches also come amid intensifying global security dynamics.