North Korea escalated regional tensions by launching a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile toward the sea on Sunday. This provocative act by Pyongyang marks the first missile launch of the year and comes two months after North Korea claimed to have tested engines for a new missile capable of striking distant U.S. targets in the region.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the launch of the missile, which was detected from North Korea’s capital region on Sunday afternoon. The missile was directed toward the North’s eastern waters. This development has prompted further analysis by South Korea, the United States, and Japan, as they strive to gather more details about the launch while maintaining military readiness.
Japan’s Defense Ministry also detected the missile launch and reported that the suspected missile is believed to have landed in the ocean. This launch follows North Korea’s mid-November claim of successfully testing solid-fuel engines for a new intermediate-range ballistic missile. Experts suggest that the missile is designed to target U.S. military bases in regions like Okinawa, Japan, and the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.
North Korea’s use of solid-fuel missiles is particularly concerning as they are harder to detect than liquid-fueled ones, which must be fueled before launch. North Korea’s existing arsenal includes a range of solid-fuel short-range missiles targeting South Korea, but its intermediate-range missiles, like the Hwasong-12, are powered by liquid-fuel engines.
The most recent public missile launch by North Korea before this incident was on December 18, when it test-fired its Hwasong-18 solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of striking the mainland U.S. In recent days, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has intensified his hostile rhetoric against South Korea, declaring it the North’s “principal enemy” and threatening annihilation if provoked.
This missile launch is seen as a strategic move by North Korea to influence upcoming elections in South Korea and the U.S. Experts believe that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un might be positioning himself to negotiate concessions, such as sanctions relief, particularly if former U.S. President Donald Trump were to be re-elected.
The incident adds to the growing concerns about North Korea’s advancing missile capabilities and its implications for regional stability. The international community continues to closely monitor the situation as developments unfold.
