North Korea said on Tuesday it had testfired a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying a superlarge warhead , a claim quickly disputed by South Korean officials and experts who speculate the North likely fabricated a successful test to conceal a botched launch. It is the second time that South Korea has questioned North Korea s claim on the development of new weapons in recent days, as the rivals are locked in heightened animosities over the North s testing activities. The North s official Korean Central News Agency said that Monday s test involved the Hwasongpho11 Da4.5 missile, which can carry a 4.5 tonneclass warhead. It said the test was meant to verify the weapon s flight stability and hit accuracy at the maximum range of 500 kilometres 310 miles and the minimum range of 90 kilometres 55 miles. The test apparently refers to the two ballistic missile launches that South Korea said North Korea performed Monday. Joint chiefs of staff spokesman Lee Sung Joon said at a briefing later Tuesday that the second North Korean missile was found to have fallen on an uninhabited area near Pyongyang, the North s capital. He said he could find few previous testlaunches by North Korea that have aimed at ground target sites. Regarding the North Korean assessment, we re weighing a possibility of deception, Mr Lee said. The South Korean military has said the second North Korean missile possibly travelled abnormally during the initial stage of its flight. It said if the missile exploded, its debris would likely have scattered on the ground. The KCNA dispatch didn t say from where it launched the new missile and where it landed. Unlike previous weapons tests, North Korea also didn t publicise any photos of Monday s test. The fact that it tested both the missile s maximum and minimum ranges suggested North Korea performed two launches. KCNA, citing North Korea s Missile Administration, reported that North Korea will testfire the missile again later in July to verify the performances of its simulated warhead at the medium range of 250 kilometres 155 miles. Some experts say testfiring missiles at ground targets could be related to efforts to test how powerful warheads are to destroy underground bunkers and structures. But Shin Jongwoo, a Seoulbased military expert, said the lack of any photos on the launches means it is highly likely the North is trying to deceive the outsiders to cover up Monday s failed launches. He said North Korea likely launched an existing missile on Monday, not the new missile at it claimed. Yang Uk, an analyst at Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said that Monday s tests reflected North Korea s push to acquire a variety of conventional weapons. But he also said if North Korea truly succeeded in hitting a ground target, it probably would have already published related images to brag about its achievements as it has done in the past. Since 2022, North Korea has sharply accelerated weapons testing activities to enlarge its nuclear arsenal. The North Koreaclaimed ranges of the newly tested missile imply it targets South Korea. Experts say North Korea would ultimately want to use an expanded weapons arsenal to increase its leverage in future diplomacy with the US. On June 26, North Korea launched what it called a new multiwarhead missile in the first known test of a developmental weapon aimed at penetrating its rivals missile defences. North Korea said the launch was successful, but South Korea dismissed the North s claim as deception to cover up a failed launch. South Korea said the weapon blew up, sending debris in the waters off the North s east coast. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community  a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. Please report any comments that break our rules. Last Updated:. Are you sure you want to delete this comment?. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then pleasecontact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you cancontact IPSO here. 20012024.Newsquest Media Group Ltd, 1st Floor, Chartist Tower, Upper Dock Street, Newport, Wales, NP20 1DW  01676637 . Data returned from the Piano 'meterActivemeterExpired' callbackevent. Those ads you do see are predominantly fromlocal businessespromotinglocal services. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience thelocal community. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times.
North Korea claims to have test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile, but South Korean officials doubt its success, suggesting it could be a cover-up for a failed launch. The missile, Hwasongpho11 Da4.5, is said to carry a 4.5 tonne warhead and was tested at ranges of 90 to 500 kilometers. South Korea raised suspicions as no photos were shared and the missile may have exploded mid-flight. Analysts believe North Korea might be trying to deceive others about its weapons capabilities amidst escalating tensions.