In order to deter the United States and South Korea, Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, has ordered the creation of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and asked for a “exponential” rise in the manufacturing of nuclear warheads.
Hours after North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile off its east coast in a rare late-night New Year’s Day weapons test, Kim’s remark was made public on state media on Sunday.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim accused Washington and Seoul of orchestrating a “unparalleled in human history” “plan to isolate and suffocate” North Korea during his remarks at a significant meeting of the governing Worker’s Party (KCNA). In order to deal with the risky military actions by the US and other hostile forces that target us, he said Pyongyang needed to “double down our efforts to develop our military power tremendously” and “to preserve our sovereignty, safety, and basic national interest,” according to KCNA.
It calls for an exponential expansion of the nation’s nuclear arsenal and emphasizes the significance and necessity of mass producing tactical nuclear weapons, according to Kim.
Additionally, he gave the go-ahead for the creation of a brand-new class of ICBM “with a fast nuclear counterattack capacity as its fundamental goal,” according to KCNA.
Kim is claimed to have also stated that North Korea will soon launch its first military spy satellite.
The KCNA allegation came as the South Korean military reported that, at around 2:50am local time on Sunday, it had discovered a missile launched from the North Korean capital region (17:50 GMT on Saturday). The missile traveled around 400 kilometers (250 miles), according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, before crashing into the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff described the launch as “a grave provocation” that jeopardized international security and peace on the Korean Peninsula. According to the report, South Korea retains its ready to respond to any provocations while constantly monitoring North Korean actions in collaboration with the US.
The launch, according to a statement from the US Indo-Pacific Command, demonstrates “the destabilizing consequences” of North Korea’s illegal weapons programs. It stated that US vows to defend Japan and South Korea “remain solid.”
Over 70 missile tests were conducted by North Korea last year. Some experts claim that in the long run, the nation wants to build up its arsenals of weapons and exert more pressure on its adversaries to secure concessions like the lifting of sanctions.
Three short-range ballistic missiles were launched by North Korea on Saturday in the direction of its eastern waters.
According to KCNA, the nation tested the capability of its “super-large” multiple rocket launcher by launching test rounds of the weapon. Three shells fired from the launcher, according to the report, hit a target island off the eastern coast of the nation with accuracy. On Sunday, North Korea reportedly fired another shell from the launcher toward the country’s eastern waters.
Due to their trajectories, ranges, and other features, the weapons fired from the launcher are classified as ballistic missiles by outside analysts.
The rival South Korean nation’s last rocket test, which was in connection with its intention to set up space-based surveillance to better monitor North Korea, may have prompted North Korea to launch missiles for the second day in a row. In order to launch its first spy satellite into orbit in the upcoming years, South Korea’s military said on Friday that it has successfully tested a solid-fueled rocket.
Since early last week, when South Korea accused North Korea of using drones to cross their strongly defended border for the first time in five years, and when it dispatched its own drones in the direction of its northern neighbor, tensions between the two Koreas have gotten worse.
The five North Korean drones that South Korea claimed to have discovered south of the border were not all shot down, it was admitted. However, South Korea has pledged to strengthen its air defense system and become tougher in response to North Korea’s future provocations.
