North Korea is testing suspected ICBMs

Despite the ban and international sanctions, North Korea continues to test nuclear-capable missiles. In the most recent test, the missile could have had a range of thousands of kilometers.

North Korea has undertaken what may be its biggest test of a long-range missile yet, challenging the US and its East Asian allies.

According to South Korea and Japan, North Korea fired a nuclear-capable ICBM. South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in accused the isolated neighbor of completely breaching the self-imposed test ban on ICBMs and violating UN resolutions. The US government strongly condemned the launch of the suspected ICBM, which could also reach US territory. The door to diplomacy is still open.

North Korea has tested missiles several times this year. According to estimates by the USA and South Korea, the country also carried out tests in late February and early March that were related to work on a new type of ICBM. North Korea itself spoke of important tests in the development of an earth observation satellite. Experts therefore expected that the country could soon launch a “space rocket”. Space missiles and long-range military missiles are largely based on the same technology.

Rocket flies to over 6000 kilometers

North Korea last conducted three tests with an ICBM in 2017. According to the South Korean military, North Korea fired the missile near the capital Pyongyang on Thursday afternoon (local time) during its current weapons test. Accordingly, the missile rose to an altitude of up to 6,200 kilometers before it fell 1,080 kilometers from the starting point into the Sea of ​​Japan (Korean: East Sea). The military assumed a launch angle from which the rocket should initially rise steeply. It reached a higher altitude and flew further than when tested five years ago. ICBMs include missiles that have a range of more than 5500 kilometers.

North Korea deliberately chose the high trajectory, expert Ankit Panda wrote on Twitter: “North Korea is doing this to better observe the missile’s full flight and to prevent it from flying over Japan.”

Criticism from Japan, weapons tests in South Korea

As the Japanese broadcaster NHK World reported, citing government officials, after more than an hour of flight time, the rocket landed in the water about 170 kilometers from the northern prefecture of Aomori, still within Japan’s “exclusive economic zone”. According to Deputy Defense Minister Makoto Oniki, it was probably a new type of ICBM. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned North Korea’s actions as “reckless” and “unacceptable”.

South Korea’s armed forces responded to the neighboring country’s weapons test by launching its own missiles to show strength. According to their own statements, rockets were fired from the ground, from the water and from the air.

Washington: Brazen violation of UN resolutions

The spokeswoman for the White House in Washington, Jen Psaki, also spoke of North Korea’s brazen violation of several UN Security Council resolutions. With the test, the country is unnecessarily increasing tensions. In order for dialogue to take place, it must immediately stop its destabilizing activities. “This action demonstrates North Korea’s continued prioritization of its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people,” Psaki said.

US negotiations with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program have been at a standstill for more than three years. Experts therefore suspect that North Korea could also try to use its recent missile tests to put more pressure on the US government to come up with concrete proposals.

UN resolutions ban North Korea from testing ICBMs and other ballistic missiles. These are usually surface-to-surface missiles that can be equipped with one or more nuclear warheads. In April 2018, ruler Kim Jong Un declared that nuclear tests and tests with medium- and long-range missiles were not necessary for the time being. A decision by the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party later only referred to a moratorium on ICBM tests.

In the face of criticism of its missile tests, North Korea claims it is exercising its right to self-defense, among other things.