On Tuesday, North Korea purportedly conducted a test-launch of a probable medium-range ballistic missile towards the eastern offshore waters, according to the South Korean military. This missile was reportedly initiated from a location in close proximity to the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang. However, the precise distance it covered has not yet been officially confirmed.
Just a month prior, North Korea had announced testing a solid-fuel engine for an innovative intermediate-range hypersonic missile. This missile, once fully developed, would have the capability to strike the US Pacific military base in Guam and potentially further.
This recent launch marks the first publicised occurrence since the 18th of March when leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw a live-fire drill deploying artillery systems aimed at the South Korean capital. The missile is believed to have landed, as per a statement from Japan’s defence ministry that was echoed by the country’s coast guard. They also issued a warning to vessels sailing through the region.
Fumio Kishida, the Prime Minister of Japan, confirmed that they have received no reports of damages linked to the missile. He stated that these recurring launches from North Korea pose threats to not only Japan but also the regional and global security.
The ongoing strain in the Korean Peninsula has escalated since 2022 as Kim Jong-Un took advantage of Russia’s Ukraine invasion as a diversion to speed up his missile and weapons testing.
In response, the US and South Korea are intensifying their collective training exercises and trilateral drills with Japan’s involvement and refining their deterrence strategies revolving around strategic US resources. The growing worry is that North Korea may heighten the pressure in the election year affecting both the US and South Korea.
Post the 19th of March testing of the solid-fuel IRBM engine, Kim declared the strategic significance of these weapons being on par with his intercontinental ballistic missiles targeting the US mainland.
Over the recent years, North Korea’s focus has shifted towards producing more weapons with inbuilt solid propellants. These are comparatively more mobile, easy to hide and have increased launch speed than the liquid-propellant missiles which have to be fuelled and the fuel can’t be sustained for extended periods. Kim is persistent on obtaining hypersonic missiles capable of evading their adversaries’ missile defence systems.
North Korea declared in January that it had conducted a flight test of a fresh solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile tipped with a hypersonic, manoeuvrable warhead. This announcement followed the November testing of a solid-fuel IRBM engine. This year, the country has also tested cruise missiles and “super-large” multiple rocket launchers targeting the area of Seoul, the capital.
Just two days prior to the most recent launch, North Korea reaffirmed its intentions to deploy several reconnaissance satellites this year, an act that breaches multiple UN Security Council resolutions. South Korea’s armed forces disclosed on Monday that there appeared to be no imminent satellite launch at the main launch site in the north-west part of the North.
North Korea’s leader, Mr Kim, has stated that satellites are vital for surveilling US and South Korean military activities and escalating the menace of his nuclear-capable missiles. Last November, North Korea launched a military espionage satellite into space for the first time, drawing censures from the US, South Korea, Japan and other nations, considering this launch as a smokescreen to test North Korea’s long-range missile capabilities.
Nevertheless, North Korea has contended that the deployment of spy satellites is a sovereign right. – AP