SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Tuesday its latest weapons test was a new intermediate-range hypersonic missile designed to strike distant targets in the Pacific, as leader Kim Jong Un pledged to further expand its collection of nuclear-capable weapons to counter rival nations.
The report from North Korean state media came a day after the South Korean military said it detected North Korea launching a missile that traveled 1,100 kilometers (685 miles) before land in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The launch, carried out just weeks before Donald Trump’s return to the presidency of the United States, comes amid a torrid year for weapons testing.
North Korea last year demonstrated several weapons systems capable of targeting its neighbors and the United States, including solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles, and there are concerns that its military capabilities could advance further through technology transfers from Russia, as the two countries align on the conflict. war in Ukraine.
In recent years, North Korea has flight tested various intermediate-range missiles that, if perfected, could reach the U.S. military hub of Guam in the Pacific. In recent months, North has tested combining these missiles with so-called hypersonic warheads to improve their survivability.
North Korea has been testing various hypersonic weapons designed to fly at more than five times the speed of sound since 2021. The speed and maneuverability of these weapons are intended to resist regional missile defense systems. However, it is unclear whether these missiles consistently fly at the speeds claimed by the North.
North Korean state media said Kim oversaw Monday’s launch and that the weapon traveled 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) and reached a speed equivalent to 12 times the speed of sound before precisely hitting a maritime target. South Korea’s military did not immediately comment on the North Korean assessment.
Kim described the missile as a crucial achievement in his goals to strengthen the North’s nuclear deterrent by building an arsenal “that no one can answer,” according to the official Korean News Agency.
“The hypersonic missile system will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region that may affect the security of our state,” Kim was quoted as saying by the agency.
Kim reiterated that his nuclear push was aimed at countering “various security threats that hostile forces pose to our state,” but KCNA did not mention any direct criticism of Washington, Seoul or Tokyo.
The launch came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Seoul for talks with South Korean allies on the North Korean nuclear threat and other issues.
In a news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Monday, Blinken condemned North Korea’s launch, which violates U.N. Security Council resolutions against nuclear weapons programs. armament of the North. He also reiterated concerns about the growing alignment between North Korea and Russia in Moscow’s war against Ukraine. He described military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow as a “two-way street,” saying Russia provides military equipment and training to the North and “intends to share space and satellite technology.”
According to U.S., Ukrainian and South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons systems to support Moscow’s war campaign. There are fears that Russia will transfer advanced weapons technology to North Korea in return, potentially increasing the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear army.
At an end-of-year policy conference, Kim Jong Un pledged to implement the “toughest” anti-U.S. policy and criticized the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen cooperation on security with Seoul and Tokyo, which he described as a “nuclear military bloc of aggression”.
North Korean state media did not elaborate on Kim’s political plans or mention specific comments about Trump. During his first presidential term, Trump met with Kim three times to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program.
Even if Trump returns to the White House, a quick resumption of diplomacy with North Korea may be unlikely. Kim’s strengthened position – based on his expanded nuclear arsenal, deepening alliance with Russia and weakening US international sanctions – presents new challenges to resolving the nuclear standoff, experts say.
washingtontimes