South Korea says North Korea may deliver new guided missile to Russia

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won Sik gives an interview to Yonhap (Photo: Yonhap).

In an interview with Yonhap on January 10, Minister Shin Won Sik said that the weapons system revealed during leader Kim Jong-un's visit to a weapons factory earlier this week appeared to be a short-range ballistic missile (CRBM) capable of carrying a tactical nuclear warhead.

"North Korea first test-fired a short-range ballistic missile in April 2022. This is a new type of weapon with an estimated range of about 100-180km," Mr. Shin said.

"North Korea has said it will deploy CRBMs with its frontline troops. With the recent arms deal, (I think) North Korea may sell them to Russia," Shin said, reiterating allegations that Russia received KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles from North Korea for use in Ukraine.

The accusation was made by the White House earlier, asserting that North Korea had provided Russia with launchers and a number of ballistic missiles with a range of 900km.

Nearly 50 countries led by the United States have issued a joint statement condemning what they say is a weapons transfer between Russia and North Korea, saying it violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Pyongyang did not directly comment on the US accusation. Meanwhile, the Kremlin did not comment either, but reiterated that Ukraine was using Western weapons to attack Russia.

"I would like to point out that attacks are being carried out continuously on our territory and civilian facilities, in the center of Belgorod on New Year's Eve, shelling is continuing, with shells and missiles produced by Germany, France, Italy, the United States, and other countries. Please do not forget about that," TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.

Mr. Peskov made the above comments when asked about the accusation of receiving missiles from North Korea. The spokesman did not comment on the accusation itself.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a weapons factory. Photo released on January 10 (Photo: KCNA).

According to Minister Shin, North Korea is believed to have provided an estimated 5,000 containers of weapons to Russia as of the end of December, which could contain many 152mm and 122mm artillery shells.

Shin also said that buffer zones established under a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement “no longer exist” after North Korea’s latest artillery fire near the western sea border. He promised to continue “defensive” exercises near the border to boost combat readiness.

From late last week to early this week, North Korea fired a total of about 350 artillery shells near the western sea border.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/han-quoc-noi-trieu-tien-co-the-giao-ten-lua-dan-duong-loai-moi-cho-nga-20240111192441951.htm