SEOUL, Jan. 31 (BNA) – North Korea confirmed Monday that it launched a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile, the same weapon it once threatened to target the US territory of Guam, raising fears that the nuclear-armed country may resume for a long time. -the test.
The launch of the medium-range ballistic missile (IRBM) was first reported by South Korean and Japanese authorities on Sunday. This was North Korea’s seventh test this month, and the first time a nuclear-capable missile of this magnitude has been launched since 2017, Reuters reports.
A senior US official told reporters in Washington that the United States was concerned that North Korea’s escalation of missile tests could be signs of a resumption of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, and pledged an unspecified response “aimed at demonstrating our commitment to our allies.” . Read more
“Not only is it what they did yesterday, but it comes on the heels of a large number of tests this month,” the official said, while urging Pyongyang to join direct talks without preconditions.
North Korea has said it is open to diplomacy, but Washington’s overtures are undermined by its support for sanctions, joint military exercises and arms buildup in South Korea and the region.
Amid a flurry of diplomacy in 2018, including summit meetings with then-US President Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared his nuclear power full and said he would suspend nuclear tests and long-range missile launches in the country.
Kim said he was no longer bound by the freeze after talks broke down in 2019, and North Korea suggested this month that it could resume such testing activities because the United States has shown no sign of abandoning its “hostile policies”.
It’s unclear if IRBMs like the Hwasong-12 were included in Kim’s moratorium, but none have been tested since 2017.
North Korean analysts said the tests appeared to be aimed at ensuring global acceptance of its weapons programs, whether through concessions or simply winning approval from a distracted world.
“Distracting the world on other issues actually appears to be working in North Korea’s favour at the moment,” said Marcus Jarlauskas, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank and a former US national intelligence officer for North Korea.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the latest wave of North Korean missile tests is reminiscent of the heightened tensions in 2017, when North Korea conducted several nuclear tests, launched its largest missile, and made threats of “fire and fury” from the United States. .
The ministry said in a statement that South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook visited his country’s missile command on Monday to verify its readiness to counter North Korean launches.
“North Korea’s series of missile tests, including intermediate-range ballistic missiles, poses a direct and serious threat to us and a serious challenge to international peace and stability,” Suh said after being briefed. “We will maintain a posture of full military readiness that can respond immediately to any situation,” he added.
Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kiichi told reporters that North Korea was stepping up its provocation to the international community and said the “remarkable improvement” in missile technology was “intolerable”.
Enhanced missile capabilities
The North’s official news agency reported that Sunday’s test “confirmed the accuracy, safety and operational effectiveness of the produced Hwasong-12 weapon system.”
State media coverage of the launch made no mention of the United States, nor was it reported that Kim had attended. North Korean officials said this month that the tests are for self-defense and are not aimed at any specific country.
Ahead of the New Year, Kim pledged to boost North Korea’s military capabilities in the face of international suspicion caused by the “hostile policies” of the United States and its allies.
North Korea previously said the Hwasong-12 missile can carry a “large-sized heavy nuclear warhead” and analysts estimate it has a range of 4,500 km.
In August 2017, just hours after Trump told North Korea that any threat to the United States would be met with “fire and fury,” the commander of North Korea’s strategic forces said he was “seriously considering a plan to surround-fire” involving a simultaneous attack. Four Hwasong-12 missiles fired at Guam.
That year, North Korea’s flight tested the Hwasong-12 missile at least six times, including twice over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
The Korean Central News Agency said Sunday’s launch of the missile was carried out in a way that ensures the safety of neighboring countries, and that the experimental warhead is equipped with a camera that takes pictures while in space.