North Korea's firing of ballistic missiles in March seems to have been aimed at testing if its midrange ones could target South Korea by skirting South Korean and US interception systems, the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported Thursday, citing military sources.
On March 26, the North test-fired two midrange Rodong missiles from north of Pyongyang. Though the missiles have an estimated range of 1,000 - 1,500 km, those in March flew about 650 km before dropping into the East Sea. "North Korea fired the Rodong missiles at a higher than usual launch angle in order to shorten their maximum range," a senior South Korean military officer was quoted as saying.
"By carrying out such a test, North Korea appears to have come up with a way not to be caught by either the South Korean or American missile interception system when launching an attack against South Korea with its midrange missiles," he added.
Seoul's defense ministry said the current missile defense system on Korean soil is not able to kill the North's Rodong-class weapons. South Korea now has a missile interception system with Patriot PAC-2 missiles, and the US Forces Korea employs PAC-3 missiles.
Rodong missiles are considered to be more destructive as they can carry a nuclear warhead, but it is unknown whether Pyongyang has the capability to develop a small enough warhead to fit on them. "That's why we have been developing our own long-range surface-to-air missiles with our indigenous technology," the defense ministry said, reaffirming the government's earlier stance that it will not buy the US Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery. The battery, which can shoot down missiles at an altitude of up to 150 km, is an integral part of the US-led missile defense, and South Korea has said it will not join the air defense system that Japan takes part in and aims to counter a rising China in the region.