North Korea testing missile with the range to strike the United States

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North Korea testing missile with the range to strike the United States

Published: 01 Nov. 2024, 17:28 Updated: 01 Nov. 2024, 23:37

SEO JI-EUN
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North Korea fires the new Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile, guided by its leader, Kim Jong-un, in this photo released by North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Friday. [YONHAP]

North Korea claimed Friday that it had successfully test launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) the previous day, the Hwasong-19, calling it an “ultimate version of ICBM” that will join the Hwasong-18 in the regime's nuclear arsenal lineup.

The Hwasong-19 reached an altitude of 7,687.5 kilometers (4776.8 miles) and flew 1,001.2 kilometers over a duration of 5,156 seconds, or 85 minutes and 56 seconds — setting records for both altitude and flight time among North Korean ICBM tests and suggesting that the missile may possess a longer range or larger payload capacity than its predecessors, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Estimates indicate that if launched on a standard trajectory, the Hwasong-19 could reach distances of more than 15,000 kilometers — enough to strike the entire U.S. mainland.

The test was conducted Thursday around 7:10 a.m. in Pyongyang on a lofted trajectory. KCNA issued a brief initial report about five hours after the trial and a more detailed report, accompanied by 22 photos, on Friday, showcasing the missile's performance to the world amid anticipation of the upcoming U.S. presidential election and existing internal unrest following its troops' deployment to Russia.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who was reportedly attended the launch with his daughter Ju-ae, expressed “great satisfaction” with the missile's performance. He declared that the launch had “proved before the world” North Korea’s “hegemonic position” in nuclear weapons development and that such progress was “absolutely irreversible.” Photos from the event show the Hwasong-19 launched from an 11-axle transporter erector launcher (TEL), indicating an upgraded configuration from the Hwasong-18’s nin-axle TEL.

In its English-language report, KCNA touted the Hwasong-19 as “the perfected weapon system of ICBM,” along with Hwasong-18, and emphasized its role as “the primary core means in defending the DPRK, thoroughly containing the enemies' acts of aggression and reliably protecting national security,” using the abbreviation of North Korea's official name.

The blunt shape of the Hwasong-19’s warhead, contrasting with the sharper warhead on the Hwasong-18, suggests possibly intended to accommodate multiple warheads. This design aligns with Kim’s declared goals at the Eighth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party in 2021, where he identified the development of multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) technology for enhancing strategic weaponry alongside hypersonic missiles, solid-fuel ICBMs, nuclear-powered submarines and reconnaissance satellites.

Friday's report did not include technical details of the Hwasong-19’s capabilities, instead using such promotional language as “absolute weapon,” “the strongest in the world,” and “a new strength the world has not yet experienced.”

Analysts suggest that the promotional reports aim to emphasize the inevitability of North Korea’s nuclear escalation, with particular focus on deterring U.S. adversaries as the nation's presidential election approaches.

Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, interprets the test as a pointed reminder of North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities aimed at “imprinting North Korea’s irreversible nuclear sophistication” and positioning the missile test as both a critique of current U.S. policy on North Korea and a talking point for the Trump faction's attacks on the Democratic administration.

Foreign policy aside, Hong also sees North Korea's display of power as a means of consolidating internal support, especially in light of recent reports that the regime has deployed troops to support Russia.

“North Korea’s current strategy appears to come in response to the international attention and pressure about the troop deployment and aimed at reframing recent troop movements as a justified reaction to U.S. threats,” Hong said. “By underscoring the cause of the problem as a ‘nuclear forces response posture’ — meaning the United States and South Korea — Pyongyang may be attempting to reshape external criticism of its military deployment.”

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi discussed the launch in a phone call and released a joint statement that “strongly condemn” the launch.

In the statement released Thursday, the three nations urged Pyongyang to cease actions that “threaten peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and beyond” and cited the missile test as a “flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.”

From left, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attend a joint press conference after a "2+2" Joint Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting at the State Department in Washington on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Later that day, Cho, along with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, joined Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for a “2+2” Joint Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting in Washington.

During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and reiterated support for “the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” a term omitted from the 56th U.S.-South Korea Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) joint statement the previous day.

The inclusion of “denuclearization” is a debated one, as the term had consistently appeared in SCM statements since 2016 until being replaced last year with language focused on “delaying North Korea’s nuclear development.”

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]