North Korea's launching of a rocket into space last week amounted to
the test of a ballistic missile capable of carrying a half-ton payload
over 10,000km, the South Korean defence ministry says.
"Based on our analysis and simulation, the missile is capable of flying more than 10,000km with a warhead of 500-600kg," a defence ministry official told reporters on Sunday.
North Korea launched its three-stage Unha-3 rocket on December 12, insisting it was a purely scientific mission aimed at putting a polar-orbiting satellite in space, but critics say it was aimed at nurturing the kind of technology needed to mount a nuclear warhead on a long-range missile.
"Based on our analysis and simulation, the missile is capable of flying more than 10,000km with a warhead of 500-600kg," a defence ministry official told reporters on Sunday.
North Korea launched its three-stage Unha-3 rocket on December 12, insisting it was a purely scientific mission aimed at putting a polar-orbiting satellite in space, but critics say it was aimed at nurturing the kind of technology needed to mount a nuclear warhead on a long-range missile.