North Korea likely fired solid

A TV screen is seen reporting North Korea's missile launch with file footage during a news program at Seoul Station in Seoul, Thursday. AP-Yonhap

Pyongyang's technical breakthrough could offer shorter launch time, greater mobility

By Jung Min-ho

North Korea on Thursday fired what is believed to be a solid-fuel ballistic missile that landed between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, raising fears of possible technical advancement in its weapons program.

Speaking to reporters, a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official said North Korea's military appears to have fired a new type of intermediate-range ballistic missile ― possibly running on solid fuel.

Solid fuel offers greater mobility for missiles and reduces preparation time before launch, compared with liquid fuel that takes more preparation time requiring activities that could be detected, therefore, giving some time for South Korea and the United States to prepare before launch.

"Given the significance of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung birthday on April 15, North Korea highly likely tested its solid-fuel ballistic missile," Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at the Sejong Institute think tank, told The Korea Times. "The test would give the regime the opportunity to send its defiant message to Seoul and its allies and to promote it as an accomplishment ahead of the politically important anniversary."

A solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is one of the key weapons on the wish list of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who has been expanding and expressing his nuclear ambition following his fruitless summit with then U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019.

The JCS said the missile was fired at a high angle from its capital area and fell into the East Sea after a 1,000-kilometer flight.

N. Korea says it tested new solid-fuel ICBM to improve nuclear counterattack posture 2023-04-14 08:01  |  North Korea
North Korea's latest provocation prompted Japan to issue an evacuation order on Hokkaido. The warning was retracted later when it became obvious that the missile would not fall near the northeastern Japanese island. The country's defense ministry said the missile could be an ICBM.

South Korea's National Security Council (NSC) "strongly" denounced the test, which it called a "grave violation" of the U.N. Security Council's resolutions.

"NSC members stressed that North Korea's repeated provocations and threatening remarks show the importance of the strong South Korea-U.S. alliance and trust. We will continue to conduct joint military exercises to maintain readiness," the NSC said in a statement. "We will also strengthen security cooperation with the U.S. and Japan in the area of information-sharing after normalizing the General Security of Military Information Agreement."

The U.S. also "strongly condemned" North Korea for inflaming regional tensions.

"The president (Joe Biden) and his national security team are assessing the situation in close coordination with our allies," National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement. "The door has not closed on diplomacy, but Pyongyang must immediately cease its destabilizing actions and instead choose diplomatic engagement."

Flags of South Korea and the United States flutter at Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, near South Korea's border with North Korea, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap

Analysts worry that such a change in attitude is unrealistic, given the "favorable" geopolitical situation for North Korea's weapons development.

"North Korea will continue to try hard to improve its weapons capabilities when it can. The war in Ukraine and a new cold war climate have created an ideal environment for the North to develop its weapons program," Cheong said. "Once the U.S. and Russia begin to improve relations after the war, the favorable situation for North Korea could change. Meanwhile, it will continue to take advantage of it."

Jeong Han-beom, an international relations professor at Korea National Defense University, believes there are almost no available options for South Korea or the U.S. to take in order to tame North Korea's aggression, painting a bleak outlook for Seoul's diplomatic efforts for its summit with Washington on April 26 and the G7 summit next month.

"With North Korea already under almost every possible sanction, there are few meaningful additional measures South Korea or the U.S. can take," Jeong said. "There will be some joint announcements, but I think it would be mostly symbolic and bring no practical effect."

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