Failed North Korean missile may have fallen near capital Pyongyang, South Korea says

CNN — Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — A ballistic missile launched by North Korea on Monday may have had an “abnormal” flight path and may have fallen inland, possibly near the capital Pyongyang, the South Korean military said.

North Korea launched two ballistic missiles on Monday morning, according to reports from the South Korean, U.S. and Japanese governments.

The missiles, launched at 5:05 a.m. and 5:15 a.m. local time, had two different flight distances, 600 kilometers (373 miles) for the first and 120 kilometers (75 miles) for the second, according to a statement from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

Asked about the disparate distances, JCS spokesman Lee Sung-jun said at a briefing: “It is possible that the second missile launched had an abnormal flight at the beginning.”

“If the explosion had occurred during an abnormal flight, it is possible that debris would have fallen inland,” Mr. Lee said, adding that an “explosion” was just a many possibilities. The military is “thoroughly analyzing” various possibilities.

He added that no damage has been confirmed so far.

South Korea said the first missile, with a flight range of 600 kilometers (373 miles), was a short-range ballistic missile, but Lee only said the second was “a ballistic missile,” leaving open the possibility that it was a new weapon.

According to the JCS, the two missiles were launched northeastward from the Changyon-gun area of ​​South Hwanghae Province, about 130 kilometers (81 miles) southwest of Pyongyang.

If the missile had exploded after flying 120 kilometers (75 miles) northeast of Changyon-gun, the debris could have landed near Pyongyang, depending on the distance traveled from the launch site.

The JCS could not confirm whether there had been an explosion near the capital, which is North Korea's largest city and home to more than 3 million people.

Last week, North Korea announced that it had successfully conducted a test to deploy multiple nuclear warheads from a single-stage engine for a medium- to long-range ballistic missile, marking a major step in modernizing its missile technology.

South Korea later said the North Korean claims were false.

Lee, the JCS spokesman, said that in a successful test, several nuclear warheads would separate from a missile during the descending phase of its flight, but the North Korean missile had exploded early in the launch.

North Korea has not issued any statement following Monday morning's launches, but released a statement on the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sunday denouncing recent military exercises by the United States, South Korea and Japan called “Freedom Edge,” calling them another sign of “reckless and provocative military force” by the three partners.

The statement said North Korea “will continue to make significant efforts to deter acts that disrupt peace and stability” on the Korean Peninsula.

Technically, the two Koreas remain at war: an armistice ended the Korean War that divided the peninsula in 1953, but no formal peace treaty has ever been signed.

Relations between the two countries warmed somewhat in 2017 and 2018, but the situation in North Korea deteriorated in subsequent years as leader Kim stepped up weapons testing in defiance of United Nations sanctions and diplomatic negotiations having failed.

At the same time, both countries are moving closer to their respective partners: North Korea recently signed a defense agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and South Korea has strengthened cooperation with Japan and the United States.

Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Women's University in Seoul, said Monday's missile tests, which took place during ongoing meetings of the ruling Workers' Party Central Committee, were likely two objectives for the Kim regime.

“Both in North Korean politics and military policy, the best defense is often a good offense. These missile launches are likely a way for the Kim regime to compensate for recent test failures, with the aim of impressing domestic audiences at ruling party meetings,” he said.

“Pyongyang is also determined not to appear weak as South Korea conducts defense exercises with Japan and the United States.”

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