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North Korea has again tested a long-range ballistic missile. After the army of dictator Kim Jong-un (39) fired a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan on Sunday morning, Swiss time, a long-range missile followed a few hours later. The South Korean General Staff said on Monday that it was “launched at a steep launch angle and fell into the sea after a flight of about 1,000 kilometers.”
According to Japanese government officials, the ICBM had the potential to fly more than 15,000 kilometers. This would allow the missile to reach the American mainland.
North Korea has numerous different short-, medium- and long-range missile models. The country also made headlines in September when it launched a nuclear submarine. While the population suffers from hunger, dictator Kim pumps a large part of his budget into defense.
It is still unclear exactly which rocket model was tested this weekend. However, North Korea already tested the new Hwasong-18 in the spring. In April, Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae publicly posed in front of the missile, which can also be equipped with nuclear warheads. This is North Korea’s first intercontinental solid-fuel missile, which, unlike liquid-fuelled missiles, is ready for use much faster and can also be better hidden from enemy reconnaissance systems.
North Korea feels provoked
Just minutes after the launch, the North Korean Ministry of Defense accused “the villains in the US and South Korea” of reckless military action. North Korea probably felt provoked and therefore conducted missile tests, North Korea expert Rüdiger Frank from the University of Vienna explains to Blick. “South Korea has just signed a new agreement for closer nuclear cooperation with the Pentagon, after the US-Japan-South Korea three-way alliance has already stepped up its cooperation against North Korea several times this year. In light of these activities, which are considered provocative and hostile, Pyongyang wants to show strength.”
South Korea has also withdrawn from part of the military agreement with North Korea. This included partial military disarmament. North Korea responded by canceling the entire agreement. “These words must now be followed by actions,” Frank analyzes. There will also be a larger party meeting in North Korea at the end of December with the participation of Kim Jong-un. “For that you need demonstrable successes.”
Risk of an attack quite low
The sanctions and UN resolutions that effectively ban North Korea from conducting such tests do little to help, Frank says. Experience shows that North Korea is hardly concerned about such resolutions.
However, Frank estimates the chance of an actual attack to be low. While nothing can be ruled out, North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is fundamentally “clearly defensive.” “Kim Jong Un knows that war would lead to his destruction,” the North Korean expert said. “If we don’t attack North Korea, a nuclear attack by North Korea on us is very unlikely.”
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
