There was controversy earlier this month surrounding the South Korean government's remarks on North Korea's ability to fire inter-continental ballistic missiles on mobile missile launchers.<br />And our Kim Ji-yeon tell us... the more important issue regarding the North's missile capabilities... is still unknown.<br />In a briefing held following a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday... South Korean lawmakers made it clear North Korea had NOT fired inter-continental ballistic missiles from transporter erector launchers, or TEL for short.<br />The remarks follow some controversy surrounding North Korea's missile capabilities after Blue House National Security Director Chung Eui-yong's statement in a hearing earlier this month... where he claimed that the North is not capable of firing ICBMs from TELs.<br />"While Chung's comments may not be far from the truth... the controversy overshadows the more important issue of whether North Korea has completed tech development related to solid-fuel missiles... so it doesn’t have to rely on liquid fuel for its ICBMs."<br />Liquid-fuel is more risky to use compared to solid-fuel since it's easier to detect while fueling.<br />To pour in liquid-fuel, the missile needs to be erected upright and according to a South Korean military source this is cited as one of the main reasons why the North is using TELs... before transferring the missiles to immobile missile launchers.<br />According to Chung's remarks, it's believed the North is not capable of striking the U.S. with nuclear-equipped ICBMs without being detected... but according to experts North Korea's application of solid-fuel technology could be only a matter of time.<br />"North Korea can develop the technology in several years if it really wants to. The North's Pukguksong-2 missile uses solid-fuel and it has already revealed in the past in its military parade an ICBM that presumably operates on solid-fuel."<br />It took France some 40 years to develop solid-fuel missiles into ICBMs... but it could take North Korea a shorter period since the North has already acquired the basic technology.<br />Last month, the North tested a newly developed submarine-launched ballistic missile, the Pukguksong-3, that utilizes solid-fuel technology... which boasts greater propulsion, smaller resistance and is lighter than liquid-fuel missiles.<br />Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.<br />
