South Korea’s military has publicly released surveillance video footage that it claims debunks North Korea’s assertion of a successful missile test. The video, filmed by a thermal observation device from South Korean frontline units, shows a North Korean projectile spiralling out of control shortly after launch and eventually disintegrating.
According to a statement from the South Korean military on Friday, the footage demonstrates “instability during flight” as the cause of the missile’s explosion. The military denounced North Korea’s claims of success as “deception and exaggeration to cover up the failure.”
Pyongyang had claimed success earlier this week
Earlier in the week, North Korean state media reported a successful test aimed at developing missiles capable of deploying multiple warheads. However, South Korea disputed these claims, citing the observed failure in flight stability of the missile.
The North Korean test purportedly involved use of first-stage engine of a solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile to evaluate the separation and guidance of multiple warheads, as per a report from KCNA news agency.
South Korea’s military had detected preparations for the missile launch and closely monitored the event as the rocket was fired. This latest incident follows North Korea’s previous claim in April of testing a new solid-fuel hypersonic missile with intermediate range, highlighting the ongoing competition in developing advanced, difficult-to-intercept missile technologies.
The release of the surveillance video marks a rare instance of South Korea publicly showcasing such footage to counter North Korea’s military claims.
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