North Korea says it tested a new multiwarhead missile. South Korea says it’s covering up a failure
Associated PressSEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Thursday it had successfully tested a multiwarhead missile in the first known launch of a developmental weapon coveted by leader Kim Jong Un to overwhelm U.S. and South Korean missile defenses. South Korea’s military said later Thursday that a joint analysis by South Korean and U.S. authorities assessed that the North Korean missile launch failed. Panda said it appeared that “South Korea misinterpreted the nature of this test initially.” Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute, said North Korea appeared to have begun testing individual technological elements of multiwarhead missiles. Chang Young-keun, a missile expert at Seoul’s Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said the North Korean test hasn’t yet proved it has sufficient MIRV controlling technologies needed for ICBMs.