photo source, Reuters/KCNA
North Korea announced on the afternoon of the 18th that it had launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) ‘Hwasong-15’.
North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency reported on the 19th that “in the afternoon of the 18th, the ICBM ‘Hwasong-15’ was launched at a high angle with the maximum range system from the Pyongyang International Airfield.” In addition, it claimed that the missile “raised to a maximum altitude of 5768 km and flew for 4015 seconds at a distance of 989 km.”
The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on the 19th that the ROK-US joint air drill was held in response to North Korea’s ICBM launch. It is reported that a total of 10 aircraft, including the B-1B strategic bomber and F-16 aircraft, were mobilized for the exercise.
Earlier on the 18th, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that it had detected a long-range ballistic missile launched by North Korea into the East Sea from the Sunan area of Pyongyang at around 5:22 pm.
It also explained that the ballistic missile was launched at a high angle and landed in the East Sea after flying about 900 km. The South Korean and US intelligence authorities are closely analyzing the detailed specifications.
It is the second missile launch by North Korea this year. Last year, North Korea conducted more than 70 ballistic missile test launches, the largest ever.
The Korean Central News Agency reported that the launch on the 18th was “organized involuntarily according to an order issued by the chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea issued at 8:00 am that day.”
Experts see the launch as a reaction, especially to the South Korean government’s definition of North Korea as an “enemy.” In the ‘2022 Defense White Paper’ recently published by the Ministry of National Defense, the North Korean regime and the North Korean military were again specified as ‘enemies’ after six years.
In addition, there is an analysis that this ‘Hwasong-15’ launch is a warning about the large-scale ROK-US joint training announced in the middle of next month.
Previously, the South Korean Ministry of National Defense announced on the 17th that it would carry out the “Freedom Shield” ROK-US joint exercise, including large-scale field maneuvering exercises in mid-March.
In response, North Korea warned through a statement by its Foreign Ministry spokesperson, “If the United States and South Korea put their training plans into action as they have already announced, they will face a sustained and unprecedentedly strong response.”
Emergency meeting of the heads of foreign affairs of Korea, the US and Japan
South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, US Secretary of State Anthony Blincoln, and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, who are attending the Munich Security Conference, have an emergency meeting right after North Korea’s missile launch on the 18th.
Meanwhile, foreign ministers from South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, who are attending an international security conference held in Munich, Germany, discussed strong responses, such as strengthening sanctions against North Korea, against the latest missile launch.
US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln urged countries to strengthen sanctions enforcement against North Korea, saying that North Korea had “revengely violated UN Security Council resolutions” by launching ballistic missiles again.
South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin also warned that “North Korea will face stronger sanctions from the international community.”
