SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea tested a questionable ICBM and two short-range weapons at sea on Wednesday, hours after South Korea concluded its voyage to Asia, where President Joe Biden reaffirmed his commitment to the United States, he said. Face a nuclear threat from the north.
If approved, it will be the first ICBM launch in two months when North Korea’s nuclear diplomacy with the United States stalled. Recent launches show the North’s determination to continue its efforts to modernize its weapons arsenal despite the initial outbreak of COVID-19, which raised foreign concerns about a humanitarian catastrophe.
“The continuing provocations of North Korea could lead to joint deterrence between South Korea and the United States and only a deepening of North Korea’s international isolation,” the South Korean government said in a statement following an emergency security meeting. . He said.
Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi described the launch as a “provocative and utterly unacceptable act”. The US Indo-Pacific command had previously stated that although the missile launch poses no direct threat to the territory of the United States and its allies, it emphasizes “the destabilization of the illegal weapons program (North Korea)”.
Three missiles flew in succession from the northern capital before landing in waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan on Wednesday morning, the South Korean military said.
A military statement said the first missile likely came from an ICBM and reached a maximum altitude of 540 kilometers (335 miles) by traveling 360 kilometers (223 miles). The second missile disappeared from South Korean radars at one point, while the third missile flew 760 kilometers (472 miles) on a peak of 60 kilometers (37 miles), the statement said.
The flight details of the suspected ICBM were similar to two previous North Korean launches, which South Korea and the U.S. military said were intended to test components of the larger Hwasong-17 missile, which flies at medium range in the exact position of the North. Align. North Korea said at the time that the two launches were aimed at testing spy satellite cameras.
After two previous launches, the South Korean military discovered a North Korean Hwasong-17 missile that exploded shortly thereafter in March. Later in March, North Korea announced it had successfully launched the Hwasong-17 in its first full-range ICBM flight test, breaking the long-range moratorium of 2018.
South Korea said North Korea may have fired a smaller ICBM instead of the Hwasong-17. Whatever it is, experts say the missile flies longer and higher than any weapon the North has ever experienced and has the potential to reach the entire American continent.
Li Chon Geun, an honorary researcher at the South Korean Institute of Science and Technology Policy, said the North may have tested the Hwasong-17 amplifier first stage and other technical elements to prevent another full-scale test failure.
Chang Yan-keun, a missile specialist at South Korea Aviation University, said the two missile launches from the north were likely aimed at testing the group’s engines before the missile exploded. With that in mind, he said he doubts North Korea really missed the ICBM on Wednesday, as the country would have no reason to repeat the same test and lose around 10-20 billion won ($ 8-16). of intercontinental ballistic missiles. millions).
Chang said the details of the third missile flight were similar to data from a supersonic missile that North Korea tested in January. Other analysts say it could also be the North’s highly maneuverable KN-23 missile with nuclear weapons.
Lim said there is less uncertainty about what North Korea is trying to show by mixing ICBMs and small-range missiles. After Biden recently highlighted the U.S. commitment to protect South Korea and Japan during his visits to these countries, North Korea responded by demonstrating its ability to launch nuclear strikes on both the United States and its own. allies in Asia.
“(The launch) was a political message. “They say they feel bad,” Chang said of the recent Biden summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yol.
Biden and Yoon said after Saturday’s meeting that they are considering extended military exercises to stop North Korea’s nuclear threats.
“We are ready for whatever North Korea will do,” Biden said during his visit, avoiding questions about a possible North Korean provocation. Biden later met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo and vowed to work closely on security issues, including North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and China’s “growing pressure” in the region.
After launching the North, South Korea and the US military announced that they would launch two surface-to-surface missiles to demonstrate their offensive capabilities. Seoul officials said the allies had previously awaited preparations for the launch of North Korea. They said the South Korean Air Force on Tuesday conducted an “elephant ride” that included 30 fully armed F-15K fighters parading down the created runway.
Wednesday’s launch was the 17th round of North Korean missile launch this year. Experts say North Korea wants to put more pressure on its rivals to continue modernizing its weapons arsenal and to ease sanctions and other concessions amid dormant nuclear diplomacy.
Officials from the United States, South Korea and Japan said North Korea could soon conduct its first nuclear test in nearly five years. Kim Tae-hyo, Yoon’s deputy national security adviser, told reporters Wednesday that North Korea is conducting a test on a system that could develop a nuclear explosive device and other technologies.
On Wednesday, North Korea’s latest missile tests took place on May 12, hours after the country acknowledged the spread of COVID-19 and ended a widely controversial claim that it had not been exposed to the coronavirus. for more than two years.
The country said there has been a “positive sign” in its anti-virus campaign in recent days. North Korea has since reported nearly 3 million cases of unidentified fever, but said only 68 people have died with COVID-19, which is extremely low. On Wednesday, state media reported further deaths from the heat for the second consecutive day.
Experts say North Korea has limited health resources and may be less aware of the deaths to avoid possible political harm to Kim.
North Korea has so far ignored South Korean and US offers to send vaccines, drugs and other supplies. Most of North Korea’s 26 million people are unvaccinated, and the country’s once free socialist public health system has been in disarray for decades.
“At a time when the people of North Korea are suffering from the spread of COVID-19, it is a real shame that North Korea is using its massive resources to build nuclear weapons and missiles instead of fighting the virus and improving his means of subsistence. This was announced by Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin.
Associated Press writer Marie Yamaguchi contributed to this report from Tokyo.
Source: Washington Post
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
