Kim Jong-un, chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission, observed a test launch of a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile equipped with a cluster munition, which contains dozens to hundreds of submunitions in a single warhead, together with his daughter Ju-ae.
According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 20th, North Korea's Missile General Bureau conducted a test launch the previous day to assess the power of the improved Hwasongpho-11ra-type tactical ground-to-ground ballistic missile warhead.
The Korean Central News Agency said the test was "to confirm the characteristics and power of the dispersion warhead (cluster munition warhead) and the fragmentation mine warhead applied to tactical ballistic missiles." It added, "Five tactical ballistic missiles launched toward a target area set around an island target on the 136-kilometer line struck an area of 12.5–13 hectares (ha) with very high density."
Hwasongpho-11 refers to the "North Korean Iskander" KN-23, and the cluster and fragmentation mine warheads are types that increase lethality by loading submunitions or metal fragments. North Korea tested the cluster warhead of the Hwasongpho-11ga type from the 6th to the 8th.
Kim Jong-un expressed "great satisfaction" with the test launch results, the Korean Central News Agency reported. Kim said, "As dispersion warheads for various purposes have been developed and introduced, it has become possible to meet our military's operational needs more fully and efficiently," adding, "Along with precision strike capability, enhancing high-density suppression strike capability against necessary specific target areas carries great significance for suppression strike capability."
Kim Jong-un also said, "The technologies and records we mastered and updated today are a valuable outcome that clearly shows that organizing the specialized warhead research group and devoting five years were not in vain at all."
Attending the test launch were Kim Jeong-sik, first vice department director of the Workers' Party Central Committee; Jang Chang-ha, director of the Missile General Bureau; People's Army 1st Corps Commander An Young-hwan; 2nd Corps Commander Ju Seong-nam; 4th Corps Commander Jeong Myeong-nam; and 5th Corps Commander Ri Jeong-guk.