North Korea fires missile
North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that flew for 86 minutes, the longest recorded flight, before landing in waters off its east, according to South Korea and Japan.
The ICBM was launched at a steep angle and soared to a height of 7,000km (4,350 miles). This indicates that if it were launched horizontally, it would have traveled a longer distance.
The launch on Thursday went against UN restrictions and occurred during a period of worsening relations between the two Koreas and increasingly hostile language from Pyongyang towards Seoul.
On Wednesday, South Korea also cautioned that North Korea was getting ready to launch its ICBM near the US election on 5 November.
Seoul’s defense ministry stated that the test aimed to create weapons that can “shoot longer distances and at higher altitudes”.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated in a seldom seen same-day announcement on state media that the launch demonstrates “our determination to react to our adversaries” and characterized it as “suitable military move”.
Kim stated that North Korea will not alter its stance on strengthening its nuclear capabilities.
Thursday’s launch was described by the US as a blatant breach of several UN Security Council resolutions.
Sean Savett, a spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House, stated that North Korea’s focus remains on its illegal weapons and missile programs rather than the welfare of its citizens.
South Korea announced new sanctions against the North following the missile launch.
Antonio Guterres
The launch was condemned by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for being “clear violations of relevant Security Council resolutions”, as reported by his spokesperson.
Previously, China’s nearby neighbor expressed being “worried”.
Pyongyang defied long-standing, harsh UN sanctions by firing an ICBM in December 2023, which was its most recent launch. The missile flew for a duration of 73 minutes and traversed around 1,000km.
Experts on North Korea think that the launch was intended to boost the carrying capacity of its missiles.
Kim Dong-yup, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, mentioned that Pyongyang has been creating missiles capable of reaching the US mainland with a larger or heavier warhead, or with multiple warheads.
Japan, the neighboring country, stated that it observed the launch on Thursday.
After the launch, South Korean and US officials met and decided to implement “strong and diverse response actions”, according to a statement by the South’s military.
It stated that our military remains fully prepared and actively shares information about North Korean ballistic missiles with US and Japanese authorities.
Thursday’s launch followed accusations from South Korea and the US that North Korea had sent troops to Russia to aid Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine.
The Pentagon believes that approximately 10,000 North Korean troops have been sent to participate in exercises in eastern Russia. The US announced earlier this week that a “small number” has been dispatched to Kursk in western Russia, with several thousand more en route.
The supposed existence of North Korean soldiers in Russia has heightened worries about the strengthening relationship between Putin and Kim.
Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow have confirmed or denied these accusations.
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