SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korea fired a ballistic missile off its east coast on Sunday, South Korean and Japanese officials said.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch took place on Sunday morning, but gave no further details. The Japanese Prime Minister’s Office also confirmed the launch.
Three days after the launch, North Korea said it tested a “high-thrust solid-fuel motor” for a new strategic weapon, a development that should allow it to have an arsenal of more mobile, harder-to-detect intercontinental ballistic missiles. can give. can reach the US mainland.
In recent months, North Korea has tested a barrage of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, including last month its developmental, longest-range liquid-fueled Hwasong-17 ICBM designed to carry multiple warheads .
Some experts say North Korea will eventually use an expanded arsenal to seek sanctions relief and other concessions from the United States.
political cartoon on world leaders
political cartoon
The exact location of North Korea’s nuclear strike capability remains in secrecy, as all of its intercontinental ballistic missile tests in recent years have been conducted at an acute angle to avoid neighboring countries.
Some experts speculate that North Korea already has nuclear-tipped missiles that could hit the entire United States, given the years it has spent on its nuclear program. But others say the country is still years away from obtaining such a weapon, adding that it has yet to publicly prove that it has the technology to protect the weapon from the harsh conditions of atmospheric re-entry. .
The United States and South Korea have expanded their regular military drills and vowed to further strengthen their joint defense capability in the face of North Korea’s growing nuclear program. North Korea has already threatened to use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with the United States and South Korea, and the US military has warned the North that the use of nuclear weapons would result in “the end of that regime”. “
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
