North Korea recently carried out its third launch of cruise missiles this month, further demonstrating its expanding arsenal of weapons. South Korea's military reported that multiple cruise missiles were fired into waters off North Korea's western coast on Tuesday morning. Both South Korean and U.S. militaries are currently analyzing the launches to gather more information, such as the number of missiles fired, their range, and whether they were launched from land or sea.
These recent launches follow tests conducted on January 24 and 28 of the Pulhwasal-3-31 cruise missile, which North Korea claims is designed to be launched from submarines. After the second launch, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reiterated his goal of building a nuclear-armed navy to counter perceived external threats. However, it is still unclear whether the water launch on Sunday was conducted from an actual submarine or an underwater barge.
