North Korea Defies UN with Most Advanced Long-Range Missile Launch
North Korea has fired its most advanced long-range missile, defying UN curbs, South Korean authorities say. The launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) drew immediate condemnation from the West as it landed west of Hokkaido in Japan.
This comes after South Korean and US defense officials met last week to update plans on how to respond to a potential nuclear attack from the North. Pyongyang had vowed to take “more offensive countermeasures” in response.
The isolated state launched the long-range missile on Monday morning about 08:24 local time from the Pyongyang area. South Korean and Japanese officials said the missile traveled for 73 minutes, covering about 1,000km (621 miles). ICBMs have the range to reach the North American continent. Monday’s launch is North Korea’s fifth successful launch of an ICBM this year.
South Korea, Japan, and the US were quick to condemn the missile test on Monday, noting it breached UN Security Council resolutions and would make the Korean peninsula less secure.
Last week, South Korea’s national security advisor Kim Tae-hyo said he was expecting the North to launch an ICBM at some point in December.
On Monday, South Korean national security officials confirmed the ICBM launched was a solid-fuel missile, which can be fired with less warning as they do not need to be fueled prior to launch. North Korea is also working to develop a new solid-fuel medium-range ballistic missile.
As North Korea continues to refine and add to its arsenal of nuclear weapons, South Korea and the United States are stepping up their defense of the region. In a meeting in Washington on Friday, officials updated their contingency plans for how to respond to a potential North Korean nuclear attack. The two countries also agreed to war-game the use of nuclear weapons in their military exercises next summer.
Meanwhile, North Korea is deepening ties with China and Russia. On Monday, its officials met the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. Though other countries were quick to condemn Monday’s launch, Wang Yi expressed China’s support for Pyongyang. Since May 2022, North Korea has been able to test weapons with little consequence, as both China and Russia have voted against further sanctions at the UN Security Council.