Seoul highlights Washington ties following Pyongyang missile tests

South Korea has stressed that it remains in close coordination with the United States on North Korean missile and weapons launches amid criticism over a delay in the official disclosure of Pyongyang’s latest tests.

According to North Korean state media, Kim Jong Un oversaw tests of a new multiple-launch rocket system and other weapons on June 25.

Questions emerged after South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not release details of the launch on the day it took place, prompting speculation over whether the military had been slow to detect the tests or had withheld information. Some local media outlets also suggested that monitoring efforts may have been affected by limitations in intelligence-sharing from the United States.

Deputy Defence Ministry spokesperson Colonel Lee Kyung-ho said South Korean and US forces detected and tracked multiple projectiles launched by North Korea in real time between 07:27 and 08:20 on June 25.

According to Lee, the projectiles have been classified as tactical weapons systems, and their exact technical characteristics will be determined following a comprehensive analysis.

He emphasised that information-sharing mechanisms between Seoul and Washington are functioning without disruption and that the armed forces of both countries maintain round-the-clock combat readiness.

North Korean state media reported that the tests involved an upgraded 240mm 24-tubular multiple-launch rocket system, special-purpose warheads for tactical ballistic missiles, and long-range ammunition for a 155mm self-propelled howitzer.

By Jeyhun Aghazada