North Korean leader Kim observes missile test to boost nuclear capabilities
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Kim Jong Un (North Korea) inspects the site of the Ryonpho Vegetable Farm Farm, Ryonpho, Hamju County in this undated image released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, January 28, 2022.
KCNA via Reuters| via Reuters
North Korean leader Kim Jong UnThe North’s KCNA news agency said that they observed the firing of a new tactical guided weapon designed to boost the country’s nuclear capability.
According to U.S. and South Korean officials, the report is coming amid indications that North Korea may soon resume nuclear tests. This comes after Kim violated a self-imposed moratorium regarding intercontinental missile (ICBM), testing by launching ICBMs last month.
South Korea’s military announced on Sunday that they had detected two projectiles from North Korea, which were launched Saturday night. They are aimed at the sea and came from North Korea’s east coast. These projectiles were about 110 km long (70 miles long) and had an apogee 25 km. They also reached speeds of less than Mach 4 which indicates they are short-range missiles.
The KCNA report did not give any information about the launch. However, they linked it with the North’s nuclear ambitions.
“The tactical guided weapon system of new type… will significantly improve the firepower of front-line long-range artillery and enhance the effectiveness in operation of tactical nuclear weapons,” KCNA reported.
Kim was said to have given important instructions regarding the further development of defense capabilities and the nuclear combat force.
Analysts believe that North Korea is developing short-range missiles (SRBMs), which are intended to evade South Korean missile defenses.
Kim Yo Jong the strong sister of Kim said that North Korea opposed war but would use nukes to strike South Korea if threatened. The warning was aimed directly at Yoon Suk-yeol the South’s incoming conservative leader.
Bae Hyun-jin, Yoon spokesperson, stated that the North’s show of force was not new and should not be taken as a sign of a new administration.
Moon Jae In, President of the Republic of Korea, has had real-time information about North’s launch of missiles, according to his office.
Nuclear test site to be restored
Ankit Panda of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (U.S.-based) stated that this weapon may be North Korea’s first nuclear-weapons delivery platform. This is based on indications that work has been done to return North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear testing site.
Panda stated, “You don’t need to be very imaginative to combine these two and two.”
South Korean and U.S. officials observed activities at Punggye-ri, suggesting that there were preparations to conduct a test. The timing and nature of the activity are not known.
In 2017, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency determined that North Korea had the capability to reduce nuclear weapons to a range of missiles from SRBMs up to ICBMs.
Kim Jong Un said in January 2021, that his country is capable of “miniaturizing, lightening and standardizing nuclear weapons” and making them tactical. His goals included the development of other weapons, such as spy satellites and hypersonic missiles. These have already been tested.
Duyeon Kim of the U.S. Center for a New American Security is a North Korea expert. She suggested the timing might be used to protest the planned U.S. South Korea military drills. Pyongyang had long dismissed these exercises as a war preparation.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the United States and South Korea will launch the nine-day annual springtime exercise Monday.
Although the exact timing of this event wasn’t known, photos were shared by the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea.
The latest missile test was acknowledged by a spokesperson from the U.S. Defense Department on Sunday. Lieutenant Colonel Marty Meiners said that the U.S. Defense Department was aware of North Korea’s statement about a missile test.
Sung Kim, the U.S. nuclear ambassador will be visiting Seoul Monday to talk with South Korean counterparts about a possible response to North Korea’s missile launches.
While the U.S. diplomat stated Washington would be open to discussions without any preconditions, Pyongyang rebuffed these overtures and accuses the United States with hostile policies based on sanctions and military exercises.
North Korea marked the 110th birthday of Kim Il Sung, its founder and president, on Friday.
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