North Korea fires 2 apparent cruise missiles: Seoul

Seoul, Jan 25: North Korea seems to have test-fired at least two cruise missiles from an inland area, in what would be Pyongyang's fifth known round of missile launches this year, a South Korean official said on Tuesday.

"We still need to conduct a detailed analysis (on the launches)," Yonhap News Agency quoted the military official as saying to reporters.

"But I want to say that should such a missile be launched southward, our detection and interception systems have no problem countering it."

The official did not offer details, including origins and targets.

The North conducted the last known test of a cruise missile in September last year. At the time, it claimed to have fired a "new-type long-range cruise missile", calling it a "strategic weapon of great significance".

A cruise missile test does not run afoul of UN Security Council resolutions banning any launch using ballistic missile technology.

The North fired what it called two tactical guided missiles on January 17, just three days after its purported test-firing of two other missiles by its railway-borne unit.

It also shot what it claimed to be hypersonic missiles on January 5 and 11.

Pyongyang on January 20 threatened to lift its yearslong self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests.