“The development of the long-range flat-range missile, a strategic weapon of great importance, has met the key objective of our five-year plan for defense science and weapons systems. The tests confirmed the great effectiveness and practicality of this weapons system, “wrote the state news agency KCNA.
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“Detailed tests of missile parts, a number of ground tests of engine thrust, various flight tests and tests of guidance and warheads were successful. Owning another deterrent of strategic importance can reliably ensure the security of our country and suppress military maneuvers of enemy forces, “she added.
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Published footage of the missile is reminiscent of the American Tomahawk missile or the South Korean Hjunmu-3C, said the South Korean agency Jonhap.
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The test of the new missile, which according to the KCNA was developed over the past two years, apparently did not take into account North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but other senior officials were present, including a member of the powerful politburo of the ruling Korean Labor Party Pak Jong-chon.
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Concerned about the United States and Japan
The US Department of Defense has identified North Korea as a danger to neighboring countries in connection with the test. “This activity underscores the ongoing development of North Korea’s nuclear program and the threat it poses to its neighbors and the international community,” the Pentagon said in a statement. The Japanese government has expressed concern over the test report.
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However, Jonhap notes that the DPRK is not allowed to develop ballistic missiles under UN Security Council resolutions and not missile launchers. It is therefore not a violation of the resolution.
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Analyst Ankit Panda told Reuters that the new missile may be the first North Korean weapon of its kind capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. “This is the DPRK’s first missile to be given a strategic role. This is a common euphemism for systems with nuclear capability, “said a collaborator of the American Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
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It is not yet clear whether North Korea is in control of the technology needed to reduce nuclear warheads so that they can be used on missiles, but leader Kim has made the development of such warheads a priority this year.
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Although surface-to-air missiles do not prohibit UN resolutions, according to Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear strategy expert at the James Martin Center, North Korean medium- and long-range guided missiles pose no less danger than ballistic missiles: “It’s another system that is designed to avoid radars. “
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The DPRK launches fewer missiles this year
According to Reuters, the test was the first since March, when North Korea test-fired two short-range ballistic missiles. The DPRK also conducted a missile test in January, just hours after US President Joe Biden took office.
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In recent months, however, Leader Kim has focused on preventing coronavirus infiltration of North Korea rather than arms tests and rescuing the economy, which has been exacerbated by a complete border closure due to a pandemic, the AP reported.
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The DPRK has long accused the United States and South Korea of hostile policies towards Pyongyang. Talks aimed at removing nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula and ending North Korean missile ballistic programs in exchange for lifting sanctions have not progressed since 2019, when the summit of DPRK leader Kim Jong-un and former US President Donald Trump in Hanoi ended in failure.
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Information about the DPRK’s new arms test came just a day before a scheduled meeting of major nuclear negotiators from the United States, South Korea and Japan to discuss ways to resolve the crisis on the Korean Peninsula in Tokyo.
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