North Korea Fires Intercontinental Ballistic Missile after Threatening US

Pyongyang’s Missile Launch Raises Tensions on the Korean Peninsula

North Korea has reportedly launched a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), according to officials from Japan and South Korea. The long-range missile, which flew for over an hour, fell short of Japanese waters early Wednesday morning, escalating tensions in the region.

This recent missile launch comes in the wake of North Korea’s threats of retaliation against alleged incursions by US spy planes over its territory. The reclusive nation had previously warned that it would shoot down such aircraft. However, the United States has dismissed these claims, maintaining that its military patrols adhere to international law.

Security concerns have intensified on the Korean Peninsula this year due to North Korea’s ongoing testing of new weapons. The country conducted a record number of missile launches in 2022, some of which were capable of reaching US territories. In response, the United States and South Korea have increased their joint military drills in the region.

In April of this year, Pyongyang tested a new ICBM, describing it as its “most powerful” missile to date. Additionally, the country attempted to launch a spy satellite in May, which ended in failure.

The missile launched on Wednesday originated from Pyongyang and flew eastwards for more than an hour before landing in the sea west of Japan, approximately 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) away, as reported by the Japanese Coast Guard and South Korea’s military.

Following the missile launch, South Korean and US officials held a meeting and issued a joint statement reaffirming their strengthened defense cooperation. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff strongly condemned the launch, describing it as a grave provocation that undermines peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and violates UN Security Council resolutions.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was attending the Nato summit in Lithuania, convened an emergency meeting of his national security council in response to the missile launch.

North Korea’s previous launch occurred in mid-June when it fired two short-range ballistic missiles in response to joint military exercises conducted by the United States and South Korea. The country’s last ICBM test was conducted in February.

ICBMs are a significant concern due to their long-range capabilities, potentially threatening the mainland United States. In November 2022, North Korea tested an ICBM, launching it on a high-angle, short-range trajectory. However, the Japanese government warned at the time that if the missile were launched at a lower trajectory, it could have reached the US mainland.

The recent missile launch follows heated rhetoric from Pyongyang, urging the United States to halt its air patrols and proposing a visit from a nuclear submarine to Korean waters. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, accused a US surveillance plane of violating North Korean airspace on Monday, warning of “shocking” consequences if such flights persisted.

Experts note that this pattern of inflating external threats is typical of Pyongyang, often used to rally domestic support and justify weapons tests. Furthermore, North Korea tends to time its missile launches to disrupt what it perceives as diplomatic coordination against its interests, as was the case during the Nato summit, where South Korean and Japanese leaders were scheduled to meet.

Despite UN sanctions, Kim Jong Un has consistently expressed his country’s intention to bolster the production of nuclear warheads and the development of more powerful weapons.

Analysts anticipate that the latest North Korean military hardware will be showcased at the end of July during the country’s commemoration of the Korean War armistice, known as Victory Day.