North Korea fires missile – nuclear test in preparation?

//

Lerato Khumalo

North Korea is becoming increasingly involved in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Dictator Kim Jong Un wants to intimidate the West with new weapons tests.

With the longest test flight of an intercontinental ballistic missile to date, North Korea has further increased tensions with its neighboring countries. According to the Japanese government, the projectile, which was fired near the capital Pyongyang, was in the air for 86 minutes and finally fell into the open sea west of the Japanese island of Hokkaido – after a flight distance of around 1,000 kilometers.

It is the first test of a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile since December last year and another violation of international sanctions by the leadership of leader Kim Jong Un. According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the rocket climbed with a steep trajectory to an altitude of around 7,000 kilometers.

Experts believe that with a flatter firing angle, North Korea’s ICBMs could potentially reach the entire mainland United States. The USA is the main protecting power of Japan and South Korea and maintains large military bases in both countries.

Leader Kim described the missile launch as an “appropriate military action,” North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported. The test is a response to provocations by hostile forces in the region and demonstrates “our willingness to counter-react.”

Kim did not give any details, but Pyongyang sees the US’s military support for South Korea and the regular maneuvers of its armed forces as an affront, as does the South Korean government’s course in the ongoing conflict between the two neighboring states. South Korea’s presidential office announced that it would impose additional sanctions on North Korea following the missile launch. Concrete details from Seoul were not initially announced.

South and North Korea have been divided since the Korean War (1950 to 1953) and are separated by a demilitarized zone. To date, the two neighboring countries have not signed a joint peace treaty.

Launches or even tests of ballistic missiles, which depending on their design can be equipped with a nuclear warhead, are prohibited by UN resolutions in the country, which is largely internationally isolated. North Korea is subject to international sanctions because of its nuclear weapons and missile programs, which Kim’s leadership repeatedly ignores.

Just on Wednesday, South Korean military intelligence warned during a meeting with lawmakers that North Korea was about to test-fire a long-range missile and may also have completed preparations for another nuclear bomb test. The last – and sixth – nuclear bomb test to date caused great concern worldwide in 2017.

Most recently, Pyongyang also significantly expanded its military cooperation with Moscow – and apparently sent thousands of soldiers to Russia, which, according to consistent information from Western governments, will probably be used in the war of aggression against Ukraine. In addition, North Korea has been supporting the Russian army for months with large-scale arms deliveries, including artillery and rocket projectiles.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sent a delegation of senior defense ministry and intelligence officials to Ukraine this week to discuss new cooperation opportunities. This will also involve exchanging information about North Korean soldiers in Russia and exploring joint countermeasures.