North Korea fires missile into sea as U.S., South Korea prep drills

North Korea on Saturday fired a long-range missile from its capital into the sea off Japan, according to its neighbors, a day after threatening to take strong action against South Korea and the US over joint military exercises.

According to the South Korean and Japanese militaries, the missile was fired at a high angle, apparently to avoid reaching neighboring areas, and traveled about 900 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 5,700 kilometers during the hour-long flight.

The details are similar to North Korea’s test of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in November, which experts say showed the potential to reach the US mainland if fired on a normal trajectory.

Japanese government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said no damage was reported from the missile, which entered Japan’s exclusive economic zone, about 200 kilometers west of Oshima island.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Korea threatened with “unprecedentedly” strong action against its rival, after South Korea announced a planned series of military exercises with the United States aimed at sharpening the response to the growing threat from the North.

The US Indo-Pacific Command said the launch did not pose “an immediate threat to US personnel, or the region, or our allies,” but said it would continue to monitor the situation. It called on North Korea to “refrain from unlawful and destabilizing actions.”

North Korea’s military capabilities continue to grow

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said its national security director, Kim Sung-han, chaired an emergency security meeting where members accused the North of escalating regional tensions. He blamed North Korea for accelerating the development of nuclear weapons despite signs of economic problems and food insecurity.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tokyo had been in touch with Washington and Seoul about the launch, which he called “an act of violence that further provokes the international order.”

The launch was North Korea’s first since January 1, when it tested a short-range weapon.

The unprecedented number of missiles underscores the continued expansion of North Korea’s military capabilities under leader Kim Jong Un, despite limited resources as negotiations with Washington remain stalled.

The missiles include a new system experts say is linked to the North’s desire to acquire solid-fuel ICBMs. North Korea’s existing ICBMs, including the Hwasong-17, use liquid propellants that require injection before launch and cannot remain fueled for long periods of time. Solid fuel alternatives require less time to prepare and are easier to move the vehicle.

It was not immediately clear whether Saturday’s launch involved a solid fuel system.

“North Korea’s missile launches are often tests of technology it is developing, and it would appear that Pyongyang is claiming progress with long-range solid-fuel missiles,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. . “The Kim regime may say this launch is a response to US defense cooperation with South Korea and sanctions diplomacy at the United Nations.”

Record year in weapons demonstrations

North Korea is set for a record year in weapons demonstrations with more than 70 ballistic missiles fired, including those that have the potential to reach the US mainland. The North has also carried out a series of launches described as simulated nuclear strikes against South Korean and US targets, which have resumed large-scale joint military exercises that have been scaled back for years.

WATCH | North and South Korea exchanged missile warnings in November:

North Korea’s missile tests have been punctuated by threats of pre-emptive nuclear strikes against South Korea or the United States in what it sees as a range of scenarios that put its leadership under threat.

Kim doubled down on his nuclear push by 2023, calling for an “exponential increase” in the country’s nuclear warheads, mass production of battlefield tactical nuclear weapons and further development of ICBMs.

North Korea’s statement on Friday accused Washington and Seoul of planning more than 20 rounds of military exercises this year, describing the rivals as “criminals deliberately disrupting regional peace and stability.”