North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to increase the country’s nuclear capabilities following the second test-flight of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) designed to target the mainland United States. Kim’s statement, reported by state media, indicates that North Korea will intensify weapons testing in response to the United States’ efforts to strengthen security commitments to South Korea.
According to Kim, the current security environment on the Korean peninsula is constantly threatened by hostile forces, necessitating intensified efforts to bolster the country’s nuclear war deterrent. The United Nations Security Council has scheduled a meeting to discuss the recent ICBM launch, which was requested by several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Kim’s remarks the day after the launch of the Hwasong-18, which he has referred to as the most powerful weapon in North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. The road-mobile ICBM is equipped with solid propellant, making it more difficult to detect compared to liquid-fueled missiles.
The purpose of the launch was to confirm the missile’s technical credibility and operational reliability, according to KCNA. Kim described the launch as another important stride in the North’s efforts to strengthen its strategic forces. The missile flew for 74 minutes and covered a distance of 1,001 kilometers (622 miles) at a maximum altitude of 6,648 kilometers (4,130 miles), landing in the open waters off the North’s east coast.
The missile’s flight time is the longest recorded by any North Korean weapon. While some experts believe that the missile, if launched on a standard trajectory, could reach the mainland United States, North Korea still faces technological challenges in acquiring fully functional nuclear-armed missiles.
South Korea, Japan, and the United States have criticized North Korea for the launch, viewing it as a threat to regional and international peace. The U.S. National Security Council spokesperson, Adam Hodge, stated that the U.S. would take all necessary steps to ensure the security of the American homeland and its allies in South Korea and Japan.
Kim has assigned unspecified tasks to North Korea’s national defense sector, indicating that the country will engage in a series of stronger military offensives until the U.S. and South Korea admit what he calls their shameful defeat of their hostile policy toward North Korea and abandon it.
This suggests that Kim will continue to modernize North Korea’s missile arsenals with advanced weapons, such as the Hwasong-18. Other weapons on Kim’s wish list include a multi-warhead missile, a hypersonic weapon, a spy satellite, and a nuclear-powered submarine.
North Korea has been focusing on reinforcing its nuclear capability following the collapse of Kim’s nuclear diplomacy with former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019 due to disputes over sanctions. KCNA accused the U.S. and South Korea of engaging in confrontational attempts and creating a new chain of nuclear crises on the Korean Peninsula.
It is common for North Korea to issue harsh, warlike rhetoric during times of tension with its rivals. The KCNA report cited agreements between the U.S. and South Korea to strengthen their deterrence capabilities, such as the periodic docking of a U.S. nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea and the establishment of a new bilateral nuclear consultative group.
In response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear arsenal, the United States has increased military drills with South Korea and enhanced the regular visibility of U.S. strategic assets in the region. North Korea has conducted approximately 100 missile tests since the beginning of last year. Experts believe that Kim ultimately aims to use his enlarged arsenal to secure greater concessions in future diplomatic negotiations with the United States.
The latest ICBM launch occurred just two days after Kim’s sister and senior advisor, Kim Yo Jong, threatened shocking consequences to protest what she claimed was provocative U.S. reconnaissance activity near North Korea’s territory. The U.S. and South Korean governments dismissed North Korea’s accusation as groundless and urged the country to refrain from escalatory actions.
