North Korea continued its unprecedented series of tests of potentially nuclear-capable missiles on Sunday. The South Korean military reportedly detected the launch of two medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) in the western North Korean province of North Pyongan within an hour. UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range. Depending on the design, such missiles can also be equipped with a nuclear warhead.
After launching from a steep launch angle, the missiles flew about 500 kilometers toward the Sea of Japan before falling into the water, the general staff in Seoul said. According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the missiles rose to 550 kilometers. The South Korean military accused its northern neighbor of “serious provocation”.
Include missile tests
North Korea wants to expand its nuclear power. To this end, the largely isolated country, which has already conducted several nuclear tests, also repeatedly tests missiles with nuclear weapons.
The latest test came two days after Pyongyang announced it was testing a powerful solid-fuel engine for a new weapons system. Experts assumed that North Korea wanted to advance technologies for the development of a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The development of ICBMs with a range of thousands of kilometers is mainly aimed at the US, which Pyongyang accuses of hostile policies.
After testing another ICBM in mid-November, United Nations Commissioner for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo spoke of “the latest in a series of alarming activities” related to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. Since the beginning of the year, North Korea’s military has conducted more than 60 missile tests – more than any time in a year. Ballistic missiles accounted for most of them.
The conflict on the Korean Peninsula has become significantly more explosive in recent months. North Korea not only increased its missile launches, but also intensified its rhetoric against the governments in Seoul and Washington. South Korea and the United States, for their part, will resume large-scale joint military exercises this year.
Japan on Friday announced a massive military buildup in response to China’s quest for power and the threat posed by North Korea. With this, the American ally wants to turn away in the future from the security doctrine, which until now has focused exclusively on defense, in order to eliminate enemy missile positions. (SDA)