Missile launch confirmed – North Korea: “capacity for nuclear retaliation”

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North Korea has described Saturday’s ICBM test as a successful “surprise exercise” that demonstrated Pyongyang’s “capacity for a lethal retaliatory nuclear attack.” Accordingly, a Hwasong-15 missile was fired from Pyongyang airport on Saturday afternoon on the orders of ruler Kim Jong-un in the morning. According to Japan, the missile landed in the sea west of Hokkaido Island.

The responsible unit fired a Hwasong-15 ICBM in the direction of the Sea of ​​Japan (Korean: Baltic Sea) on Saturday, North Korean state media reported on Sunday. The missile successfully reached its target area in the sea after 989 kilometers. ICBMs are considered the primary means of delivery for nuclear weapons. All ICBM and other ballistic missile tests have been banned for North Korea by UN decrees.

Ready for “mobile and powerful counterattack”
North Korea’s government described the country’s first missile test since the beginning of the year, according to North Korea’s state news agency KCNA, as evidence of the “true wartime capability” of the country’s ICBM units. These are ready for a “mobile and powerful counterattack”. According to the reports, the surprise missile launch exercise got an “excellent grade”. The Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party “appreciated the effective war capability of the ICBM units, which are ready for mobile and powerful counter-attacks”.

The South Korean military claims to have spotted the missile’s launch at 5:22 p.m. local time (9:22 a.m. CET) on Saturday. According to Japanese Defense Minister Kazuya Hamada, the projectile had a range of about 14,000 kilometers and could theoretically have reached the mainland United States. In November, North Korea had already fired a Hwasong-17 ICBM with a similar flight time, which also landed in the sea west of Hokkaido Island.

“Dangerous and reckless” action
The EU and G7 countries strongly condemned Saturday night’s missile test. A spokeswoman for Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, spoke of a “dangerous and ruthless action” that endangered “international and regional peace and security”. In a statement, Japan’s G7 presidency called it a “flagrant violation of UN Security Council resolutions” that demand a united response from the international community. This also includes clear measures from the UN Security Council.

The launch of the missile took place just days before a planned joint maneuver between South Korea and the United States. Just Friday, North Korea threatened an “unprecedented” response to the planned military exercise. According to their own statements, the US and South Korea wanted to use the military simulation games to practice their response to Pyongyang’s use of nuclear weapons.

Kim Jong-un wants to make the country the “most powerful nuclear power in the world”.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated dramatically in recent months. As a result, the US and South Korea announced at the end of January that they would expand their maneuvers. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared in November that he wanted to make his country the “most powerful nuclear power in the world”. Over the past year, North Korea has conducted an unprecedented number of weapons tests, including the November launch of its most advanced ICBM.

The conflict on the Korean peninsula has been explosive again since last year. Despite being banned by UN resolutions, North Korea has increased the range and speed of its missile tests. South Korea and the US have fully resumed their joint maneuvers.

Source: Krone

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