The South Korean military has reported that North Korea has fired a missile that appears to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). North Korea has tested a missile for the 15th time since the beginning of the year.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters that the short-range missile was launched into the sea from the Sinpo region on North Korea’s east coast this afternoon.
The Japanese coast guard also noted that the launched missile looked like a ballistic missile that fell into the sea after about 15 minutes of flight. Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported that the missile flew about 600 kilometers and crashed outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
No further details about the missile test are available. North Korea had previously launched SLBMs from Sinpo South Shipyard. Pyongyang has stepped up its missile tests this year and has made significant progress on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s list of weapons development goals set in 2021.
The US State Department also warned yesterday that Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear test this month, noting the latest preparations at North Korea’s main nuclear test site in northeast. North Korea has not conducted a nuclear test in almost five years.
A nuclear explosion risks further escalating tensions with North Korea’s neighbors, including its main economic backer, China, whose border is only 160 kilometers from North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear test site.
However, China and Russia largely ignore Pyongyang’s increase in missile tests. Beijing and Moscow are instead pressuring the United States to do more to restart nuclear talks that haven’t been held since 2019.
The United States has repeatedly said it is willing to resume negotiations without preconditions; however, North Korea either refused or ignored these invitations. Instead, it sometimes fired missiles at record speed. Pyongyang also conducted its first long-range missile test in more than four years in late March last year.
North Korea’s test today followed Wednesday’s missile test. The trial three days ago was unusually unannounced by North Korean state media.
“This shows that the Kim regime either wanted to keep its progress secret or didn’t want to accept a failed test. Either way, it was clear that Pyongyang would soon have another test,” said Leif-Eric Easley, associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. .
North Korea has several possible reasons for launching missiles. Western media reports and American officials often describe the launches as “provocation”. But there are growing indications that the North is instead focusing on the military dimension of such testing.
“Some observers suggest that North Korea has launched missiles to attract Washington’s attention and restart dialogue. There is more evidence that Pyongyang is focusing on developing its military capabilities to deter, threaten and blackmail other countries,” Easley said. .
Kim Jong Un warned last week that his country could use its nuclear weapons “preemptively” if necessary, against enemy forces. At a military parade in late April, Kim warned that his nuclear forces are deployed not only to deter the country’s enemies, but also to shoot anyone who violates the “fundamental interests” of the North.
These warnings have raised concerns that Kim will use the threat of nuclear strike to put pressure on his neighbors, reflecting the strategy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has threatened a nuclear strike in Ukraine.
The new conservative president of South Korea is preparing to take office. Tensions may increase further if former attorney general Yoon Suk-yeol has pledged as president to take a tougher approach towards the North.
Yoon, who will take office on Tuesday, has pledged to maintain diplomacy and put the joint military exercises on track with the United States, which have been infrequent since 2018 due to the Corona virus pandemic.