North fires several cruise missiles from western coast: JCS

A Hwasal-2 cruise missile flies at low altitude above the western coast of North Korea on Tuesday morning in this photo released by Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

North Korea fired several cruise missiles from its western coast on Friday morning, according to the South Korean military.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) told reporters in a text message that it had detected multiple cruise missiles being fired around 11 a.m. but did not specify the number of missiles.

The launches on Friday mark the fourth cruise missile salvo fired by the North since the beginning of the year.

On Tuesday, the North conducted what it later said was a test of the Hwasal-2 cruise missiles, which also took place off its western coast.

The North test-fired newly developed Pulhwasal-3-31 cruise missiles for the first time from its western coast on Jan. 24. The regime said it had also fired Pulhwasal-3-31 cruise missiles from an unspecified underwater launch platform off its eastern coast on Sunday.

Hwasal in Korean means “arrow,” while pulhwasal means “flaming arrow.”

In its message, the JCS said that the South Korean military “is closely coordinating with the United States to monitor additional signs of North Korea’s provocations.”

Powered by jet propulsion technology, cruise missiles usually fly at a lower speed and altitude than ballistic missiles do but can change their trajectories.

While the North is formally barred from carrying out tests of ballistic missile technology under resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council, no such restrictions apply to its cruise missile program.

Experts say the North’s cruise missiles still pose a risk to South Korea and Japan, however, because they are harder to detect via radar and intercept.

It remains unclear why the North has ramped up the testing of its latest line of cruise missiles, but South Korean military officials have told reporters on condition of anonymity that the quick succession of launches is likely an effort to perfect the regime's new weapons system in a short period of time.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]