North Korea insatiable desires for missiles
North Korea launched an unidentified projectile off its east coast. According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, this unidentified projectile, thought to be a short-range ballistic missile, flew from Jagang Province in North Korea's north (JCS). More missile tests have been undertaken by North Korea to improve its ballistic missile program, which it claims is vital to defend itself against a hypothetical US invasion. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff has refused to identify what type of short-range ballistic missile the North fired, including the range and apogee, claiming that analysts in Seoul and Washington are reviewing the data to learn more about the projectile. Analysts claim that this could be the Hwasong-8, North Korea's first hypersonic missile, which was originally tested in September.
According to North Korean official media, a hypersonic missile, a train-based ballistic missile, and a long-range cruise missile were all demonstrated in September. North Korea displayed a new submarine-launched ballistic missile at a military parade in January 2021, just before President Biden assumed office, and dubbed it "the world's most powerful weapon." The true capabilities of this weapon are unknown because it has not been tested. North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, has promised to increase his nuclear weapons and military capabilities, and the country has made progress despite economic restrictions.
North Korea fired a number of missiles in 2017, exhibiting what appeared to be tremendous advancements in military technology. The Hwasong-12 was believed to have a range of 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles), bringing US military outposts on the Pacific Island of Guam within striking distance. Later, the Hwasong-14 demonstrated even greater potential, with a range of 8,000km although some studies suggested it could travel as far as 10,000km if fired on a maximum trajectory. Pyongyang would have gotten its first genuine intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of reaching New York, as a result of this. The Hwasong-15 was eventually tested, reaching a maximum height of 4,500 kilometers, which is ten times higher than the International Space Station.
North Korea unveiled its latest ballistic missile in October 2020. It hasn't been identified or put to the test yet. It's a two-stage liquid-fueled missile, similar to the Hwasong-15, but with a larger length and diameter. It may be able to carry numerous warheads. It is thought to be capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to any location in the United States, and its scale startled even the most seasoned analysts when it was unveiled in 2020. Long-range cruise missiles, which do not have to follow a straight trajectory and can be designed to evade detection, could pose new issues for defence systems, as they do not have to follow a straight trajectory and can be programmed to escape detection.
It may go up to 1,500 kilometers (930 miles), putting much of Japan within range, according to state media, though it is unclear how it is guided or whether it could carry a nuclear payload. North Korea is not prohibited from testing cruise missiles under current UN Security Council sanctions, unlike ballistic missiles. Hypersonic missiles can move at far quicker speeds and elude primary radar for much longer than ballistic missiles, according to a test conducted in September. North Korea is thought to be able to carry and store it fully fueled, allowing for rapid deployment.
North Korea conducted its greatest nuclear test to date on September 3rd, 2017 at its Punggye-ri test site. The device's destructive power, or yield, was estimated to be between 100 and 370 kilotons. The test would be six times more effective than the bomb unleashed on Hiroshima in 1945, with a yield of 100 kilotons. This was North Korea's first thermonuclear weapon test, which is the most powerful type of nuclear explosion in which an atomic bomb is enhanced by a secondary fusion process to produce a far larger blast. North Korea announced in April 2018 that it would stop conducting nuclear tests until its capabilities were "confirmed." North Korea also pledged to deconstruct the Punggye-ri site, and in May 2018, it did so in front of foreign journalists, but without outside specialists. Pyongyang also declared it will dismantle all of its nuclear material enrichment facilities as talks between Kim Jong-un and President Trump's government began that year.
The talks with the US, on the other hand, were inconclusive. According to satellite photos, North Korea seemed to have restarted the Yongbyon reactor, which is expected to be its main source of weapons-grade plutonium, in 2021, according to the UN's atomic agency. With work on plutonium separation, uranium enrichment, and other activities, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declared the nuclear programme was moving "full steam ahead."
With multiple major domestic challenges to address and other foreign policy concerns such as Russia and China to address, Biden is appropriately devoting his time and energy to areas other than trying to win the Nobel Peace Prize for bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula. A list of the top 18 public policy worries of Americans issued by the Pew Research Center on February 16 hardly touched on global affairs and did not mention North Korea. Furthermore, Biden is well aware that making a meaningful diplomatic approach to Pyongyang would expose him to charges of naiveté or appeasement from his political foes. Notwithstanding, with over one million army soldiers and estimated reserves of 600,000, North Korea boasts one of the world's largest standing armies. Although much of its weaponry is outdated, its conventional forces might still cause significant damage to South Korea in the event of a war.
References
1. Edith M. Lederer, “US and 10 other countries condemn North Korea missile launch”, ABC News, 1st March 2022.
2. US and 10 other countries condemn North Korea missile launch - ABC News (go.com)
3. “North Korea fires possible ballistic missile for first time in a month”, CNBC, 26th February, 2022.
4. North Korea fires possible ballistic missile for first time in a month (cnbc.com)
5. North Korea fires 'unidentified projectile', ignores US offer of talks, Hindustan Times, 27th January, 2022.
7. “North Korea launches unidentified missile” Crack Newz, 27th February, 2022.
8. https://www.cracknewz.com/2022/02/north-korea-launches-unidentified.html
9. North Korea launches unidentified projectile, possibly ballistic missile: Reports, The Statesman, 17th January, 2022.
10. North Korea launches unidentified projectile, possibly ballistic missile: Reports (msn.com)
11. N.Korea resumes missile tests with first launch in a month, Reuters, 28th February, 2022.
12. N.Korea resumes missile tests with first launch in a month, Reuters, 28th February, 2022
Pic Courtsey-Micha Brandli at unsplash.com
(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)
