North Korea Tests 600mm Multiple Rocket Launchers

North Korea has conducted a test of its 600mm-calibre multiple rocket launchers, state media reported on Sunday.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the rockets struck an island target in the East Sea of Korea located more than 360 kilometres away during the live fire exercise.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the drill and praised the system, describing the multiple rocket launcher as “a very deadly yet attractive weapon”.

Images released by KCNA showed rockets being fired from large launcher vehicles, while another photo showed Kim observing the launch alongside his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, and military officials.

South Korea’s military said it detected several launches on Saturday. The South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the projectiles were fired from North Korea toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

Authorities in Seoul condemned the launch, calling it a provocation that violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and urging Pyongyang to halt such actions.

The launch took place amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, as the United States and South Korea are currently conducting their annual joint military exercise, Freedom Shield.

The drills involve about 18,000 South Korean troops and are scheduled to run until March 19.

Earlier this week, Kim Yo Jong warned that the joint drills could lead to “unimaginably terrible consequences,” adding that they were taking place at “a critical time when global security structure is collapsing rapidly and wars break out in different parts of the world”.

The development also comes amid renewed diplomatic signals from Washington.

United States President Donald Trump has indicated he would be open to meeting Kim again as part of efforts to revive high-level talks with Pyongyang.

North Korea has also recently carried out missile tests from the naval Choe Hyon destroyer, claiming the country is working toward “arming the navy with nuclear weapons”.

Analysts say North Korea’s large rocket launchers straddle the line between conventional artillery and ballistic missiles, as they generate their own thrust and are guided during flight.

Pyongyang and outside observers describe some of these large rocket systems as capable of carrying nuclear warheads.