Missiles once morest declarations. According to the South Korean military, North Korea launched a “suspected ballistic missile” towards the sea on Tuesday, as a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council was held at the same time, to speak military trials in Pyongyang, and that several countries have openly condemned the country’s abuses.
The projectile was launched from dry land towards the sea east of the Korean peninsula at 07:27 a.m. (22:27 GMT, Monday), according to a statement from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. Information confirmed by the Japanese authorities, who saw “an object which might be a ballistic missile” along their coasts.
“It is estimated that (the suspected missile) traveled regarding 700 km and landed outside Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. If no damage was reported, the shot was immediately ordered. “It is deeply regrettable that North Korea continues to launch missiles,” said Fumio Kishida.
A maneuver addressed to the UN Security Council?
Hours before the shooting, Japan and five other countries, including the United States had urged North Korea to stop its “destabilizing actions”. France, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Albania have joined the call “to refrain from any further destabilizing action (…) and to engage in a constructive dialogue towards our common goal of complete denuclearization”.
The statements come ahead of a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council regarding the January 5 test of what Pyongyang has touted as a hypersonic missile. According to some experts, Pyongyang may have intentionally made its shooting coincide with the UN meeting.
“The launch has political and military motives,” Shin Beom-chul, a researcher at the Korea National Strategy Research Institute, told AFP. “North Korea is continuing its tests to diversify its nuclear arsenal, but it planned the firing on the day of the UN Security Council meeting to maximize its political impact,” he added.
According to Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha University for Women in Seoul, the frequency of testing indicates that Pyongyang may make launches ahead of the Beijing Olympics next month. North Korea was banned from participating in the Winter Olympics by the International Olympic Committee following refusing to participate in the Tokyo Summer Games in 2021 due to a pandemic.
Hypersonic warhead and military reinforcement
Since Kim Jong Un came to power ten years ago, Pyongyang has made rapid progress in military technology, at the cost of international sanctions. Despite an economic situation made even worse by the pandemic, the leader assured in December that he would continue to strengthen his military arsenal.
In 2021, North Korea, equipped with nuclear weapons, claimed to have successfully tested a new type of sea-to-surface ballistic missile (SLBM), a long-range cruise missile, a piece of weaponry launched from a train and what she described as a hypersonic warhead. South Korea has questioned Pyongyang’s claims, saying last week’s shooting was not a major advance over previous ballistic missiles.
A second hypersonic test so soon might even indicate that last week’s launch was in fact a failure, according to Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies. “It is difficult to understand why they would perform another test within a week of announcing success,” he said.
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Tuesday’s trial comes as Pyongyang refused to respond to US calls for further talks. The dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington has remained at an impasse since 2019, following the failure of discussions between Kim Jong Un and then US President Donald Trump.
Joe Biden’s government has repeatedly shown its willingness to meet with North Korean envoys and aim for denuclearization, but Pyongyang rejected the offer, accusing the United States of pursuing “hostile” policies. North Korea is subject to international sanctions for its banned weapons programs. The pressure on its struggling economy has been heightened by the strict border closures ordered to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
