North Korean missile testMOSCOW, Jan 31 North Korean authorities confirm they did it on Sunday the launch of a medium-range ballistic missile, according to the South Korean agency Yonhap. According to it, we are talking about the Hwasong-12 missile.
"The test launch was intended to selectively evaluate the missile, which is being produced and developed, and to test the overall accuracy of the weapon system. He confirmed the accuracy, safety and efficiency of the Hwasong-12 type system, which is in production.It is noted that the leader of the DPRK, Kim Jong-un, was not present at the launch site. Earlier, the South Korean military reported that the DPRK launched one, presumably, a ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan from the region of the North Korean province of Chagangdo. The flight range was approximately 800 kilometers, the highest flight altitude was two thousand kilometers. The maximum speed of a medium-range ballistic missile tested by the DPRK on Sunday was about Mach 16, that is, about 16 times the speed of sound. The Japan Coast Guard issued a warning on Sunday morning about a possible launch of a ballistic missile from the DPRK. The Japanese Ministry of Defense also announced a possible launch. Vessels at sea have been advised to exercise caution and stay away from suspicious objects if they are spotted. Some time later, a message appeared about a possible fall of a shell. This is the seventh test of Pyongyang's weapons since the beginning of the year. Prior to this, on January 5 and 11, North Korea tested missiles that it called hypersonic, on the 14th two short-range ballistic missiles were launched from a railway missile system, on the 17th North Korea tested two tactical guided missiles also of short range, on January 25 — cruise missiles, and on January 27, a tactical surface-to-surface guided missile.