North Korea Continues Missile Provocations... Successive Launches at Three-Hour Intervals (Comprehensive 2nd Report)

Launched from Wonsan Area... Traveled 450km and 600km

14th North Korean Ballistic Missile Launch This Year

North Korea launched two ballistic missiles in succession, with an interval of about three hours between the launches.

The launch of a North Korean tactical ballistic missile. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the South Korean military detected the launch of a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea at approximately 3 p.m. on September 20. The detected missile traveled about 450 kilometers.

Later, at about 5:50 p.m. that same day, North Korea launched an additional short-range ballistic missile from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea. This missile flew more than 600 kilometers.

Both missiles launched on these two occasions are presumed to be part of North Korea's representative short-range ballistic missile series, the Hwasong-11 family. The Hwasong-11 series includes the Hwasong-11ga (KN-23), also known as North Korea's version of the Iskander, and the Hwasong-11na (KN-24), often referred to as the North Korean version of ATACMS. The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "South Korea and the United States are conducting a detailed analysis regarding the exact specifications," adding that South Korea, the United States, and Japan have been tracking and sharing information on missile-related developments since the initial launch phase. They further emphasized, "Under a firm combined defense posture with the United States, our military is closely monitoring North Korea's diverse activities and maintaining capabilities and readiness to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation."

This launch is interpreted as part of efforts to enhance conventional forces, as outlined in the new five-year National Defense Development Plan laid out at the Party Congress in February. At the time, North Korea announced its plan to strengthen and deploy an "operational-tactical missile complex" for deterrence against the South under the five-year plan.

Some observers suggest that this move may be intended to emphasize that North Korea’s nuclear and other deterrence capabilities are non-negotiable, especially ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's speech at the United Nations General Assembly’s general debate, scheduled to start on September 22, and the U.S.-China summit, where the North Korea issue is expected to be discussed on September 24.

Last month, President Trump ordered a reduction in the scale of the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises and publicly expressed his willingness to pursue North Korea-U.S. talks. On September 18, a senior U.S. official stated during a phone briefing on the upcoming U.S.-China summit that "President Trump is prepared to talk with Chairman Kim Jong Un of North Korea, whether by phone or in person."

With this latest launch, North Korea's ballistic missile launches have reached 14 this year, and it has been eight days since the previous launch. In the previous incident on September 12, multiple SRBMs were fired from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea. Two days later, North Korea's external media revealed that the launch was a coordinated firepower strike exercise that involved a mix of short-range ballistic missiles, attack drones, strategic cruise missiles, and large-caliber thermobaric rocket launchers. From September 16 to 18, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a key munitions factory, believed to produce upgraded 600mm super-large multiple launch rocket systems (five-tube), new 240mm rocket systems, North Korea's version of the Harop drone, and new drones, underscoring the country's strong artillery capabilities.

This development is also seen as a response to regional military activities led by the United States and joined by South Korea and Japan. On September 18, North Korea publicly issued a statement through Kim Yo Jong, Director of the Workers' Party Secretariat, protesting multinational naval exercises such as "Pacific Vanguard" conducted by the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet, and warning that a "proportional or even more offensive counteraction" would be required. Kim stated, "Our determination to defend our sovereignty will be expressed through even more explicit actions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.