North Korean ‘K9-type’ howitzer poses new military threat to South

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, inspects a self-propelled howitzer during a visit to a major munitions factory, Wednesday, in this photo released by Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency, Friday. Yonhap

North Korea has reportedly developed self-propelled artillery capable of striking Seoul and the greater capital area, raising concerns that the North is escalating its long-range artillery threat.

According to North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun, Friday, leader Kim Jong-un visited a key munitions factory two days earlier to inspect a new weapons system.

It included self-propelled artillery equipped with a 155-milimeter gun, comparable in caliber to South Korea’s K9 howitzer, but reportedly with a range exceeding 60 kilometers, while the K9 has an approximate range of 40 kilometers.

The official newspaper of the Workers' Party, the Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim described the country’s 155-milimeter self-propelled artillery as a “new-generation artillery weapon with very high mobility and firepower” and said that the system would be deployed within the year to three battalions along the southern border.

Defense experts said that if North Korea’s claim of developing a system with a range exceeding 60 kilometers is accurate, it would place Seoul within striking distance.

“It appears North Korea is upgrading the barrel and munitions of its self-propelled howitzers to extend their range to roughly three times that of the existing version,” Shin Jong-woo, secretary-general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said.

He referred to the country’s 152-milimeter self-propelled artillery, which is known to have a range of only around 20 kilometers.

“The newer version appears to be developed into longer-range artillery capable of striking Seoul and the greater metropolitan area,” Shin explained.

He also noted that the 155-millimeter version would join the 240-millimeter multiple rocket launcher deployed on the frontline, saying, “If the new self-propelled howitzers are deployed to frontline units, North Korea would effectively add another weapon capable of striking the Seoul metropolitan area without the need to change firing positions.”

A Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official said the JCS is “closely monitoring North Korea’s weapons development trends.”

Meanwhile, the North Korean leader stressed that this year will “record an unprecedented upgrade in the course of struggle for bolstering up the national defense capability of the country," according to the Rodong Sinmun.

Kim accordingly urged cadres to "achieve signal successes every day" through intensified efforts to strengthen military readiness.