North Korea Tests Cluster Bomb Warhead for Tactical Missiles

Seoul, November 1 (Daily Kiran) : North Korea has conducted a test of a cluster bomb warhead designed for use with tactical ballistic missiles, indicating a significant enhancement of its military capabilities. Under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, the nation appears poised to integrate such weapons into its military units, capable of unleashing widespread destruction across large areas. This development was reported by North Korean state media on Sunday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, citing the North’s official KCNA news agency, the missile department conducted tests on Saturday to evaluate the combat utility and striking power of the cluster bomb warhead. The tests were overseen by General Kim Jong-sik, a senior member of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee and the Central Military Commission.

Research institutes within North Korea’s missile division claimed that the standard type-2 cluster warhead could devastate an area of 12 to 13 hectares, equivalent to approximately 30 to 32 acres.

Cluster bombs differ from conventional bombs in that they contain dozens to hundreds of smaller explosives, known as submunitions, housed within a primary warhead. Once deployed, these submunitions disperse over a wide area, allowing a single missile to target multiple sites, military vehicles, and personnel.

The director of North Korea’s missile unit stated that the cluster warheads have been categorized into four types, including those for special purposes and general use. The plan is to make all types of warheads available to military units by the end of this year, enabling them to use them according to operational needs and target characteristics.

This test comes amid North Korea’s ongoing expansion of its missile and military programs. Earlier this year in April, the country claimed to have tested cluster bombs and fragmentation mine warheads on the Hwasong-11 tactical ballistic missile, with Kim Jong Un personally supervising the test.

The situation has raised significant concern among South Korean security agencies. Systems like the Hwasong-11 are capable of targeting short-range military objectives. During the April test, North Korea asserted that its missiles successfully hit a target area of 13 hectares around an island located approximately 136 kilometers away.

On October 29, North Korea launched about ten ballistic missiles toward the sea from its eastern coast. This missile launch coincided with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to South Korea, prompting the South Korean military to analyze the flight and technical aspects of the missiles.

Another dimension of North Korea’s military activities involves its defense cooperation with Russia. The deployment of North Korean soldiers by Russia in the Ukraine war and experiences from modern warfare have sparked international discussion regarding Pyongyang’s military capabilities.

Concerns about cluster munitions have long been voiced internationally. Many of the smaller explosives often fail to detonate immediately, remaining on the ground unexploded and posing deadly risks to civilians, particularly children and farmers.

An international treaty banning cluster munitions was adopted in 2008, prohibiting their use, production, and transfer. However, North Korea, along with major military powers like the United States, Russia, China, and South Korea, is not a signatory to this treaty.

North Korea has released images to support its claims regarding the tests. However, independent verification of the warhead’s actual striking capability and combat effectiveness is not yet available.

This test occurred during a time when top diplomats from South Korea, the United States, and Japan reiterated their call for North Korea’s complete denuclearization during trilateral talks in Atlanta. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stated that President Donald Trump is willing to engage in discussions with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, provided Pyongyang agrees to address issues of concern to Washington and its allies. However, no meeting schedule has been established yet.