South Korea puts new cruise missile into service

Moscow, April 19 (IANS /RIA Novosti) South Korea has put into service a new long-range cruise missile, capable of striking missile sites or nuclear installations in any part of neighbouring North Korea, reported Yonhap news agency Thursday citing a senior army officer with the South Korean defence ministry.

The new domestically-produced missile "has a radius of action of over 1,000 kilometres" and can carry out a strike on any object in North Korea, Major General Shin Won-sik said.

"Maintaining military readiness with long-range missiles, our military will be able to decisively reply to any provocation from North Korea," he said.

Though the South Korean military did not name the new weapon, Seoul has been developing the 1,500-km range Hyunmu-3C class of cruise missiles since 2010. Seoul also has in its armoury the 500 km-range Hyunmu 3A and 1,000 km-range Hyunmu-3B.

Seoul also has tactical missiles with a range of 300 km in service, Shin said.

The announcement by Seoul comes at a time of increased tension with the North, following a failed rocket launch there April 13 and apparent preparations for a third nuclear weapon test.

North Korea declared itself a nuclear power in 2005 and carried out test explosions of such weapons in 2006 and 2009.

The UN imposed sanctions in response, under Security Council resolutions 1718 and 1874.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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