North Korea conducted a “very important test” by launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Kim Jong Un’s orders on Thursday, Korean media reported.
North Korea confirmed the launch hours after its neighbours recorded the launch of a new, more manoeuvrable weapon they believe is aimed at the US mainland. Kim Jong Un said:
This launch is a just and fully legitimate military measure that shows our determination to respond to enemies who have threatened the security of the republic and have recently deliberately aggravated the security situation in the region.
The first launch in almost a year was a test of a new, more manoeuvrable weapon aimed at the US mainland and a possible attempt to get Americans’ attention ahead of next week’s elections.
“Flagrant violation”
US National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett called the launch a “flagrant violation” of multiple UN Security Council resolutions that “unnecessarily raises tensions and risks destabilising the security situation in the region.” He also said the US would take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and its South Korean and Japanese allies.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea may have tested a new long-range solid-fuelled ballistic missile. Missiles with embedded solid fuel are easier to move and hide and can be launched more quickly than liquid-fuelled weapons.
Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Lee Sung Joon said the launch may have been timed to coincide with the US election in an attempt to strengthen North Korea’s bargaining position in future negotiations. He said the North Korean missile was launched at a high angle, apparently to avoid neighbouring countries.
Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters that the missile may have been new because its flight time of 86 minutes and maximum altitude of more than 4,350 miles exceeds North Korea’s previous missile test data, an assessment shared by South Korea.
Meanwhile, South Korea and Japan condemned the North Korean launch for being a threat to international peace and said they were coordinating closely with the US.
Earlier, Kim Jong Un said the DPRK Armed Forces should be ready to use nuclear capabilities at any time to protect security interests. According to him, nuclear weapons are used for self-defence and do not pose a threat to others.
The media earlier reported about the DPRK launching a ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan. It landed in an area about 300 kilometres west of Okushiri Island, outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
