The U.S.-based North Korea-monitoring Web site, 38 North, says that North Korea’s new mid-range Scud missile KN-17 is intended for evading enemy missile defenses.
  
The Web site presented the analysis on Monday, saying there is a possibility that the KN-17 can be used against targets on land.
 
The KN-17 is currently categorized as an antiship ballistic missile(ASBM), which requires more precision strike capabilities than ground attack missiles.
 
U.S. government officials have been raising the likelihood that the North is converting Scud missiles into ASBMs in order to target U.S. naval vessels that will be deployed to the Korean Peninsula in the event of contingency.
  
But "38 North" has downplayed the possibility, saying that North Korea would face a particularly difficult problem if it intends to use the KN-17 against naval targets.
 
It presumed that the KN-17 appears to be a Scud derivative developed as a maneuvering reentry vehicle(MaRV), which is intended for disturbing enemy missile defense systems.
 
North Korea test-fired KN-17 missiles on April 16th and 29th but both of the tests were reported as failures by allied intelligence agencies.
 
"38 North" is a Web site specializing in North Korean affairs, run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

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