South Korea releases video of North’s missile exploding after spiraling out of control

The disclosure came a day after North Korea said it successfully conducted a missile test Wednesday aimed at securing multiple warhead capability, which allows a single ballistic missile to deliver multiple warheads to different targets.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) has said the North launched a ballistic missile toward the East Sea, but the missile exploded in midair after traveling some 250 kilometers, labeling the North’s claim of a successful test a “method of deception and exaggeration.”

The 28-second video, filmed by the South’s thermal observation devices in different front-line units, showed the North’s missile ascending in an abnormal manner, rolling left to right before it completely tumbled out of control.

The missile later exploded into multiple pieces of debris, contradicting the North’s claim that the separated warheads were guided correctly to three targets.

“North Korea may have attempted to make a new type of missile … but the analysis is very limited as the missile exploded in the very early stage,” a JCS official said, stressing the military has “completely” ruled out the possibility of North Korea even attempting to conduct a multiple-warhead missile test.

Yonhap