InsiderBLM Asia
North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Saturday in a “surprise” exercise to test the weapon’s reliability, according to state media.
It took 67 minutes to travel over 900km (560 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan.
According to Pyongyang, the test demonstrated its capability to confront adversarial forces like the US and South Korea.
It comes before joint drills between Washington and Seoul that will take place next month in an effort to counter North Korea’s growing nuclear threats.
In response to any such drills, which Pyongyang authorities claim are being conducted in preparation for an invasion of North Korea, they have threatened to unleash a “unprecedently strong” response.
Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, reaffirmed this early on Sunday by stating that any hostile acts would be met with a “strong and overwhelming” response. She additionally pleaded with the US to stop what she described as “threats” against the regime.
She did, however, add that North Korean missiles would not aim for Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
North Korea displayed its impressive military prowess on Friday in a parade that featured over a dozen ICBMs.
According to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the missile fired on Saturday—the first to be fired since the start of the year—splashed down west of Hokkaido in Japan’s EEZ at 18:27 (09:27 GMT). An EEZ is a portion of the ocean that falls under a nation’s control. 200 nautical miles off the coast of Japan.
According to government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno in Tokyo, it rose to an altitude of 5,700km (3,510 miles). Although that is incredibly high—roughly 100 kilometers above Earth’s surface—a North Korean missile has flown higher.
An ICBM ascended to 6,100 km in altitude in November. Previously, in January 2022, North Korea published astounding images of Earth that it claimed were taken from a missile launch that traveled 2,000 kilometers.
ICBMs are especially concerning due to their extensive range, which includes the continental United States.
With a potential range of 14,000 km, Saturday’s missile could have accomplished this, according to Japan’s Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu.
North Korea’s recent actions, according to Mr. Matsuno, “threaten the peace and stability of Japan and the international community and are completely unforgivable.”
The G7 foreign ministers, who are in attendance at a summit in Germany, denounced North Korea’s “reckless behavior.” They claimed in a statement that Pyongyang’s actions “threaten regional and international peace and security” and that the UN Security Council needed to act with greater vigor.
The missile, according to South Korea’s military, was fired from the area of Sunan, north of Pyongyang, where the city’s international airport is situated. The majority of North Korea’s most recent ICBM tests have also been launched from there.
The UN Security Council has outlawed North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. However, Pyongyang has continued to develop its weapons and hold elaborate military parades to display them despite this.
In a midnight military parade that was attended by Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang displayed the most intercontinental ballistic missiles it has ever exhibited.
