North Korea announced last night that it had “successfully” tested a new “long-range cruise missile” over the weekend, with several launches made between Saturday and Sunday “observed by high-level authorities”. Kim Jong-un, absent. Sources close to the Biden administration said they were aware of the tests and that “they will continue to monitor the situation.” The Pentagon added that the tests represent “a threat to neighboring countries and beyond”.
The United States: “Threat to neighboring countries, we will monitor”
The US, according to sources of the Biden administration, is aware of the news about the launch of the new missile “will continue to monitor the situation”. And the Indo-Pacific command of the United States in a note stressed that “this activity highlights the continuing attention of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on the development of its military program and the threats it poses to its neighbors and the international community”. For the States, the commitment to the defense of the neighbors of the North, South Korea and Japan remains firm ».
South Korea analyzes the photos released from the North
South Korea promises an “in-depth analysis” of the missile test, which will be carried out together with US experts. The photos published by Rodong Sinmun, the “voice” of the Workers’ Party, immediately came under the lens of analysts: they show a missile coming out of one of the five tubes on a launch vehicle and a missile in horizontal flight. Experts noted that the weapon resembles the US’s Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles and South Korea’s Hyunmoo-3C cruise missiles. Ballistic missiles have a much longer range and move faster than cruise missiles of equal size. , but cruise missiles are still threatening as, while they can carry nuclear warheads, they fly relatively straight and low-flying, making them more difficult to detect.
The concern of Japan
Concern was also expressed by Japan for the “threat” it represents for the stability of the area close to the archipelago. “The government of Japan always closely monitors North Korea’s military movements, so we gather information (about them) and analyze it,” government spokesman Katsunobu Kato explained. “A missile flying about 1,500 kilometers would be a threat to the peace and security of the area around Japan, which we are concerned about,” Kato added.
First the celebratory parade, then the missile test without Kim
The tests were carried out immediately after the night parade which, on 9 September last, celebrated the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the nation. The event, the first since Joe Biden’s inauguration in the White House, appeared on a smaller scale and aimed primarily at the domestic audience: it did not appear to send messages or threats to the United States or South Korea, and Pyongyang had not shown any ballistic missiles. or new strategic weapons. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not follow the test launch operations of the new missile live. Present instead Pak Jong-chon, a member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers’ Party, attended the tests together with other senior officials: “This is another great manifestation of the enormous capabilities of defense science and technology and the defense industry. weapons of our country “, Pak commented, underlining” the need for the science of national defense to do everything possible to increase its capabilities, the war deterrence of the country “.