North Korea boasts of successful hypersonic intermediate-range missile test
North Korea said on Tuesday that its latest weapons test was a new hypersonic medium-range missile designed to hit distant targets in the Pacific Ocean, as leader Kim Jong-un vowed to further expand his nuclear arsenal to counter rival countries.
The news from North Korean state media came a day after South Korea’s military said it had detected the North had fired a missile that flew 1,100 kilometers before landing in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The launch, which comes weeks before Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency, comes amid a troubled year for weapons testing.
North Korea last year demonstrated multiple weapons systems that could target its neighbors and the United States, including solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles, and there are concerns that the two countries will further advance their military capabilities through technology transfers from Russia. war in ukraine.
North Korea has tested a variety of medium-range missiles in recent years, and if these missiles are upgraded, they could reach the US Pacific military hub of Guam. In recent months, North Korea has been experimenting with combining these missiles with hypersonic warheads to increase their survivability.
North Korea has been testing various hypersonic weapons since 2021, designed to fly at five times the speed of sound. The speed and maneuverability of such weapons are intended to withstand regional missile defense systems. However, it is not clear whether these missiles are continuously fired at the speed the North claims.
The North’s state media said Kim supervised Monday’s launch and said the weapon traveled 1,500 kilometers, reaching two different peaks of 99.8 kilometers and 42.5 kilometers, and reaching 12 times the speed of sound before accurately hitting a naval target. .
Lee Sung Joon, a spokesman for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the South Korean military believed North Korea had exaggerated the system’s capabilities, saying the missile had a shorter range and lacked a second peak.
Lee said the test was likely a follow-up to another hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile test last April, adding that it would be difficult to use such systems in a relatively small area like the Korean Peninsula. According to him, the military of South Korea and the United States continue to analyze the missile.
The beginning comes after Blinken’s visit
According to the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim hailed the missile as an important achievement in his goal of strengthening the North’s nuclear deterrent by building an arsenal that “no one can respond to.”
“The hypersonic missile system will reliably contain any adversary in the Pacific region that could affect the security of our state,” the agency quoted Kim as saying.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is in North Korea for a rare visit and meeting with leader Kim Jong Un, raising concerns in the West about military cooperation between the two countries.
Kim reiterated that the nuclear push was aimed at countering “various security threats posed by hostile forces to our state,” but KCNA did not mention direct criticism of Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.
The launch came as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited Seoul for talks with South Korea’s allies on the North Korean nuclear threat and other issues.
At a news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Monday, Blinken condemned North Korea’s missile launch, which violates UN Security Council resolutions against the North’s weapons programs. He also reiterated Moscow’s concerns about the growing alignment between North Korea and Russia in its war against Ukraine. He described the military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow as a “two-way road”, saying that Russia has provided military equipment and training to the North and “intends to share space and satellite technologies”.
According to US, Ukrainian and South Korean estimates, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons systems to support Moscow’s war campaign. There are concerns that Russia could transfer advanced weapons technology to North Korea, potentially bolstering the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear-armed military.
At a year-end political conference, Kim Jong-un vowed to implement the “toughest” policy against the United States and criticized the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen security cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo. aggression”.
North Korean state media did not specify Kim’s policy plans or make specific comments about Trump.
In his first term as president, Trump and Kim exchanged a series of belligerent threats After North Korea’s weapons tests, it did not appear to significantly alter relations between the countries before meeting in person three times for talks.
Even after Trump returns to the White House, a quick resumption of diplomacy with North Korea may be difficult. According to experts, Kim’s strengthened position, based on an expanded nuclear arsenal, a deepening alliance with Russia and a weakening of the application of US international sanctions, presents new challenges for the resolution of the nuclear conflict.
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