[Yonhap News Photo]
North Korea on Saturday unveiled what appears to be its new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), staging a large-scale military parade in Pyongyang amid increased military tensions on the peninsula.
A huge truck carrying the missile-shaped objective rolled through the main square of the capital in front of leader Kim Jong-un and other top officials of the communist regime, showed TV footage.
South Korean military officials said they regard it as a new type of ICBM. "It's presumed to be a new ICBM. It seems longer than the existing KN-08 or KN-14 ICBMs, an official said.'
The North also showed off various other ballistic missiles including what it claims to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). It marks the first time that the secretive communist nation has unveiled the new weapon apparently in development at such a public event.
A new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), which Pyongyang calls the Pukguksong-2, also appeared in the parade to commemorate the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung, the North's late founding leader and grandfather of Kim Jong-un. The model, also known as a KN-15 missile, is an upgraded version of an SLBM.
In February, the North test-fired a Pukguksong-2 missile, which flew more than 500km into eastern waters, followed by Pyongyang's announcement that the launch was a "complete success".
Also on display were Scud-ER ballistic missiles, KN-06 surface-to-air missiles, multiple-launch anti-ship missiles and 300-mm artillery rockets. The North's display of the strategic weapons to the world is apparently aimed at boasting of its military firepower as the United States continues to deploy high-profile defense assets near the peninsula.
(Yonhap)
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
