합참, 北ICBM 다탄두 여부에 "외형적 영상만 공개돼 분석 필요"
The South Korean military says it's working closely with the U.S. to analyze the weapons revealed in North Korea's massive military parade over the weekend.
This as weapons experts around the world disclose their assessments of the North's latest defense capabilities.
Our defense correspondent Kim Ji-yeon has their analyses.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the South Korean military... with the cooperation of the U.S.,... is analyzing the weapons unveiled by North Korea in a massive parade last Saturday... including the North's latest intercontinental ballistic missile.
"The weapons are currently being analyzed in detail using multiple sources, not only through released images."
Local experts suspect the North's new ICBM, dubbed the "Hwasong 16" is at least two meters longer than previous ICBMs... at 23 or 24 meters... and is capable of carrying multiple warheads.
It shows North Korea's confidence that its ICBMs could reach the U.S. mainland and hit several locations simultaneously.
"It's unlikely the so-called 'Hwasong 16' is just a replica because it's based on the Hwasong 15 which has been successfully launched before. The latest version has some of the characteristics of missiles that separate in multiple stages... such as the engine nozzle and reverse feed."
The expert said the North also showed four of its "new strategic weapons" during the parade.
These include a new submarine-launched ballistic missile, the Pukguksong 4,... which is also presumed to be able to carry multiple warheads.
The North also unveiled a series of super-large multiple rocket launchers, the North's version of U.S. Army's surface-to-surface missile system ATACMS... and the North's version of Russia's Iskander-class ballistic missile... known to be able to move away from its original trajectory to change its target or avoid being shot down.
U.S. President Donald Trump and the White House have not released an official response to the North's recent weapons display.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.