North Korea tried to pass off old rocket launch as ‘huge’ new ICBM, claims South Korea

Seoul analysed discrepancies in missile’s speed, combustion and stage separation

South Korea has accused the North of deceiving the world by fabricating data about its intercontinental ballistic missile test last week.

On 24 March, North Korea claimed that it had successfully launched a Hwasong-17 missile. First revealed to the world in 2020, it is the country’s longest-range developmental ICBM to date, making the launch one of its biggest weapon tests in years.

Pyongyang called it a “historical event” and also released a Hollywood-style video of Kim Jong-un giving the green light for the launch, though the actual launch itself was not caught on video.

But South Korea’s defence ministry has now said that it believes the North actually fired the previously-launched Hwasong-15 missile that day and only passed it off as a huge, new ICBM.

The ministry analysed discrepancies in the missile’s speed, combustion, and stage separation, and submitted a report to a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.

The ministry also alleged that the dramatic and stylised video of Mr Kim showing off the launch was fabricated, as the Korean leader’s shadow was inconsistent with the time of the day when the clip was supposed to have been shot.

South Korea said that its neighbour likely attempted to deceive its rivals into believing it has advanced ICBM technology to portray itself as a military power and get leeway in future negotiations.

Photo distributed by the North Korean government shows Kim Jong-un walking around what it says is a Hwasong-17 ICBM on 24 March (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

The ministry said that North Korea did conduct a test of Hwasong-17, but it failed as the missile exploded mid-air.

Seoul said it suspected that the unidentified “projectile” North Korea test fired on 16 March was the Hwasong-17 missile. The missile had exploded soon after liftoff and several Pyongyang residents had witnessed the mid-air blast.

The South Korean report alleged that after the failed test, the North decided to launch a more reliable ICBM, the Hwasong-15 – also an ICBM that could reach the US, but with a lower range – to prevent possible public anxiety and bolster unity at home.

The US, which is conducting a separate analysis of the launch, agreed with South Korea’s assessment, the report said.

Photo distributed by the North Korean government shows Kim Jong-un watching what it says is a test-fire of a Hwasong-17 ICBM on 24 March (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

Ha Tae-keung, a member of the South Korean parliament’s defence committee, said the suspected Hwasong-17 explosion occurred at an altitude of only several kilometres.

The blast “sent debris like rain over Pyongyang” though civilian casualties haven’t been independently confirmed, he said.

Colin Zwirko, a senior analyst at the North Korea-focused website NK Pro, said the video of the launch played on North Korean state TV was likely shot on a different date, according to commercial satellite images. He said this raised the possibility that North Korea botched a Hwasong-17 test on 16 March.

South Korean officials have warned that the North may conduct another ICBM test in the coming weeks, raising further tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

Additional reporting by agencies