In this photo taken last month and provided by the North Korean government on January 1, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party in Pyongyang, North Korea .
North Korean Central News Agency / Korea News Service via AP
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North Korean Central News Agency / Korea News Service via AP
In this photo taken last month and provided by the North Korean government on January 1, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party in Pyongyang, North Korea .
North Korean Central News Agency / Korea News Service via AP
SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea on Sunday fired a suspected ballistic missile into the sea – its seventh batch of weapons launched this month – in an apparent attempt to pressure the authorities. Biden on the long-stalled nuclear talks.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea had launched a suspected ballistic missile from its northern hinterland but did not immediately say how far it flew. The prime minister’s office and Japan’s defense ministry said the weapon was likely a ballistic missile but did not immediately provide further details.
The Japan Coast Guard has issued a maritime safety warning, saying an object likely to be a North Korean ballistic missile may have landed, but there were no immediate reports of damage. damage to ships or aircraft.
The launch took place three days after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Thursday. North Korea also tested a pair of long-range cruise missiles on Tuesday, vowing to strengthen its nuclear “war deterrence” capabilities and build more powerful weapons.
North Korea has ramped up testing activity in recent months, including seven weapons launches so far in 2022, demonstrating its military might amid difficulties related to the pandemic and prolonged freeze in nuclear diplomacy with the United States.
While actively expanding his military capabilities despite limited resources, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is also reviving Pyongyang’s old play about its ability to win concessions from Washington, the nation leading country in international sanctions over North Korea’s nuclear program.
Experts say North Korea may suspend the test activity after the Beijing Winter Olympics begin next week out of respect for China, its main ally and economic lifeline. But there are also expectations that North Korea could significantly increase its arms demonstrations when the Olympics conclude in February to attract the attention of the Biden administration, which is focusing more on confrontation. with China and Russia over the conflict with Ukraine.
“North Korea is launching a salvo of missiles before the Beijing Olympics begin, mainly in an effort to modernize its military,” said Leif-Eric. Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
“It wants to remind Washington and Seoul that trying to overthrow it would be too costly. By threatening stability in Asia while global resources are shrinking elsewhere, Pyongyang is demanding the world. compensating them to act as a ‘responsible nuclear power’,” Easley added.
North Korea has justified its test as an exercise of its right to self-defence and threatened stronger action after the Biden administration imposed new sanctions following two missile tests. purposeful hypersonication earlier this month.
During a ruling party meeting chaired by Mr Kim on January 20, senior party members threatened to continue testing nuclear explosives and long-range missiles aimed at the US homeland. which Mr. Kim suspended in 2018 while initiating diplomacy with the United States.
Kim has repeatedly vowed to bolster his nuclear force since his summit with then-President Donald Trump was derailed in 2019 with the Americans rejecting North Korea’s demands for a reduction in nuclear weapons. massive sanctions in exchange for giving up part of the country’s nuclear capabilities.
While desperate for external relief as his economy falters under US-led sanctions and pandemic-related difficulties, Kim has shown an unwillingness to give up nuclear weapons. and rockets that he considered his strongest guarantee of survival. Analysts say Kim’s pressure campaign is aimed at coercing Washington into accepting North Korea as a nuclear power and shifting its aid-to-nuclear disarmament diplomacy into reduction negotiations. mutual weapons.
Last year, Kim announced a new five-year plan for weapons development and laid out an ambitious wish list that includes hypersonic weapons, spy satellites, solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles and solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles. Submarine-launched nuclear missiles.
State media said on Friday that Mr Kim had visited an unidentified weapons factory that produces a “major weapon system” and that the workers pledged allegiance to their leader, who “bravely defeated the challenges of the American imperialists and their vassal forces.”
