North Korea fires missiles that can reach the sea

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SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea on Tuesday fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile into its eastern seaboard, its second launch in a week, the South Korean and Japanese militaries said.

This month’s launches follow a series of weapons tests in 2021, highlighting how North Korea continues to expand its military capabilities amid a self-imposed pandemic and deadlocked nuclear talks with the United States.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired at least one weapon early Tuesday but did not immediately say whether it was ballistic or how far it flew. The prime minister’s office and Japan’s defense ministry said North Korea’s weapon was likely a ballistic missile, but did not immediately provide further details.

Guam’s Office of Homeland Security and Civil Defense said it was monitoring reports of the North Korean launch but no immediate threat was assessed to Guam, a major military hub for the United States. America in the Pacific.

The most recent launch came six days after North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea, in what was later described as a successful test of a hypersonic missile, a weapon North Korea claims to have tested. First test in September.

That test comes days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, during a key political conference, vowed to strengthen his military force despite difficulties related to the pandemic.

US-led diplomacy over North Korea’s nuclear program has stalled since 2019 due to a dispute over international sanctions against North Korea. The Biden administration has repeatedly called for the resumption of nuclear diplomacy “anywhere and at any time” without preconditions, but North Korea has argued that the US must first withdraw its hostility. with the country before any negotiations can restart.

North Korea’s burgeoning nuclear arsenal is core to Mr Kim’s rule and what he clearly sees as his strongest guarantee of survival. During his 10 years in office, he conducted a large number of weapons tests aimed at promoting the ability to launch nuclear attacks on the US mainland.

But his country’s economy has shrunk dramatically over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, US-led sanctions over his nuclear ambitions and government mismanagement. grandfather.