North Korea Appears To Launch Another Ballistic Missile

Topline

North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea Tuesday morning following its first launch since October last week, Japanese and South Korean officials said, drawing attention from the United Nations as the country continues to dismiss denuclearization demands from the U.S. and other countries.

TOPSHOT – This picture from North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) taken on August … [+] 29, 2017 and released on August 30, 2017 shows North Korea’s intermediate-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 lifting off from the launching pad at an undisclosed location near Pyongyang. Nuclear-armed North Korea said on August 30 that it had fired a missile over Japan the previous day, the first time it has ever acknowledged doing so. / AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS / STR / South Korea OUT / REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT —-EDITORS NOTE—- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PHOTO IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY AFP. / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by STR has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [at an undisclosed location near Pyongyang] instead of [in Pyongyang]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo credit should read STR/AFP via Getty Images)

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Key Facts

The South Korean military and the Japanese coast guard reported the missile was launched Tuesday at around 7:30 a.m. local time off the east coast of North Korea, landing in the ocean outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, according to Reuters, the Associated Press and the BBC.

North Korea claimed the missile launched last week was “hypersonic”’—so fast it cannot be intercepted by current missile defense systems—though the South Korean military dismissed this claim and deemed it a common ballistic missile.

The U.N. Security Council has banned ballistic missile launches by North Korea, meaning these recent launches could potentially lead to further sanctions against the already heavily isolated nation.

Key Background

North Korea has not tested missiles with a range capable of reaching the United States since 2017, though it resumed testing short-range missiles in 2019, following a halt in dialogue between leader Kim Jong Un and then-President Donald Trump on the country’s nuclear weapons program. In a statement Monday, the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and allies expressed fears that these missile tests not only make North Korea a greater threat, but could also result in illegal arms sales between North Korea and other clients. Meanwhile, North Korea has rebuffed calls to restart denuclearization talks for months and insisted U.S. hostility is responsible for remaining tensions.

Tangent

South Korean President Moon Jae-In announced last month the 70-year war between the neighboring nations was formally ended “in principle,” amid a bid to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Moon also spoke last week at the groundbreaking of a new railway that he hopes will eventually connect the two countries, which have been separated by a tightly controlled demilitarized zone since active hostilities in the Korean War ended in 1953. During the groundbreaking, Moon expressed concerns about last week’s missile launch, but maintained that “If both Koreas work together and build trust, peace would be achieved one day.”

Chief Critic

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters Tuesday, “It is extremely regrettable that North Korea launched a missile in this situation.”

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissada/2022/01/10/north-korea-appears-to-launch-another-ballistic-missile/