North Korea Test-Fires Tactical Ballistic Missile with Cluster Warhead
North Korea's official news agency reported on April 9 the successful test-firing of a tactical ballistic missile tipped with a cluster bomb warhead. The test occurred amid heightened regional tensions and was monitored by South Korean and Japanese defense officials. The development of cluster munitions by Pyongyang is seen as a direct provocation and a violation of international norms, aimed at increasing its conventional strike capability against massed personnel and armored targets on the peninsula.