Status: 10/13/2022 10:01 p.m
North Korea has been firing various missiles since the end of September – one of them even flew over Japan. Ruler KIm Jong Un speaks of readiness for war. Experts also expect nuclear weapons tests.
North Korea has continued its series of missile tests despite international protests. As the state news agency KCNA reported, ruler Kim Jong Un witnessed the launch of two long-range cruise missiles on Wednesday. They were fired in South Pyongan Province and headed towards the Yellow Sea.
According to a report by the South Korean military, a short-range missile was recently fired in the direction of the Sea of Japan. Accordingly, the ballistic missile started in the night near the North Korean capital Pyongyang.
Ruler Kim Jong Un then reaffirmed his country’s “complete readiness” for an “actual war” and spoke of a “clear warning to the enemy”, without naming it specifically. According to the KCNA, the “rapid reaction capability of the nuclear combat force” should also be tested with the launch. Experts question whether the missiles fired on Wednesday are technically capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Criticism of North Korea’s actions
North Korea had fired multiple ballistic missiles since late September. At the beginning of the month, Pyongyang also launched a medium-range missile over Japan for the first time in five years. According to the South Korean Defense Ministry, North Korea is currently preparing to launch a submarine ballistic missile and an ICBM.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned North Korea’s repeated missile launches as “completely unacceptable”. The USA and NATO also sharply criticized North Korea’s actions.
First nuclear weapon test since 2017?
Experts predict that North Korea could conduct its first nuclear weapons test since 2017 in the coming weeks. South Korea and the USA have been warning of this for months. UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range, which, depending on the design, can also carry a nuclear warhead.
A common position of the UN Security Council on the North Korean missile launches is still not in sight. In particular, China, North Korea’s most important partner, blames the US for Pyongyang’s behavior. In the past, Washington has not responded adequately to the country’s denuclearization measures.