North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on March 24, according to South Korean President Moon Jae-in. It was Pyongyang’s first such launch since 2017. It was a “breach of Chairman Kim Jong Un’s vow to the world community to suspend intercontinental ballistic missile launches,” Moon said in a statement, adding that it was also a violation of UN sanctions.
According to Japan’s Prime Minister’s Office Defense Ministry, the North may have fired a ballistic missile. The coast guard of Japan, which issued a warning to neighboring vessels about the possibility of falling items, believes the missile flew for almost an hour before landing outside the country’s exclusive economic zone.
North Korea’s 12th round of missile
It was North Korea’s 12th round of missile launches this year, following its Sunday launch of suspected artillery pieces into the sea. Experts believe the North’s unusually rapid testing activity reflects its dual goal of improving its armament while also exerting pressure on Washington over a growing stalemate in nuclear talks.
The North has also tested a number of new missiles, including a rumored hypersonic weapon and its first intermediate-range missile launch since 2017, which could reach Guam, a vital US military base in the Pacific. In recent weeks, it conducted two medium-range tests in its capital area that were later identified by the US and South Korean forces as involving components of the North’s largest ICBM, the Hwasong-17, which they warned may be tested at the full range soon.
The two tests, according to North Korea’s official media, were intended at developing cameras and other equipment for a spy satellite. Analysts believe the North is seeking to recommence ICBM testing while also acquiring some sort of space-based reconnaissance capacity under the guise of a space launch to deflect international criticism of its actions.
The launch could coincide with a key political occasion in April, the birthday of the late grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un, state founder Kim II Sung.
During three flight tests in 2017, the North’s previous ICBMs displayed potential range to reach the American homeland. Experts believe it is developing the larger Hwasong-17, which was originally displayed in a military parade in October 2020, with the goal of arming it with several warheads to overwhelm missile defenses.
“North Korea’s barrage of weapons tests this year, which comes amid a protracted diplomatic impasse, reflects a determination to cement its status as a nuclear power while negotiating desperately needed economic concessions from Washington and other adversaries from a position of strength,” analysts say.