Dec 19, 2023 at 7:40 AM Update: 2 hours ago
South Korea, Japan and the United States have activated a system that allows them to track North Korean missiles.
The South Korean Ministry of Defense announced this on Tuesday after a North Korean missile launch on Monday.
The system allows missiles to be tracked from the moment of launch and makes it possible to estimate how threatening they are. South Korea, the US and Japan will also hold joint military exercises more often.
The decision comes a day after North Korea fired a long-range missile. That launch followed talks between the US and South Korea on a joint nuclear strategy.
According to the North Korean state news agency KCNA Leader Kim Jong-un personally supervised the launch. KCNA also distributed photos on Tuesday showing Kim near the rocket, together with his minor daughter.
Photo: AFP
Hwasong-18 missile can be launched in minutes
The launch of the rocket, which according to KCNA can reach the United States was intended as a “clear signal to enemy powers,” the news agency quotes Kim. Recently, an American nuclear submarine arrived in South Korea. The US also has an aircraft carrier with bombers in the area.
The state news agency further confirmed South Korean reports that the missile was a so-called Hwasong-18.
That is an intercontinental ballistic missile that does not use liquid fuel, but a solid one, which is part of the rocket. This means the Hwasong-18 can be launched in minutes, giving opponents less time to take action. The missile can also carry multiple payloads, including nuclear warheads.
The Hwasong-18 fired on Monday ended up in the Sea of Japan, about 1,000 kilometers from North Korea.
2023-12-19 06:40:12
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