SEOUL: North Korea on Monday confirmed that it had tested a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), which is capable of striking the US territory. It was the seventh missile test conducted by Pyongyang this month and the first time that a nuclear-capable missile was fired since 2017.
North Korean state news agency KCNA said, “The inspection firing test was conducted for the purpose of selectively inspecting the ground-to-ground mid-range long-range ballistic missile Hwasong-12 and verifying the overall accuracy of this weapon system.”
According to KCNA, North Korea has previously said the Hwasong-12 can carry a “large-size heavy nuclear warhead.” The test “confirmed the accuracy, safety, and operational effectiveness of the produced Hwasong-12 type weapon system,” KCNA said.
How was the missile test conducted?
KCNA said the missile launch was conducted in such a way as to ensure the safety of neighbouring countries, and that the test warhead was fitted with a camera that took photos while it was in space. Photos released by state media showed space-based images of North Korea and the surrounding areas through a round camera lens. North Korea first took such photos in 2017, analysts said.
Leader Kim Jong Un was not reported to have attended the test, which was at least the seventh launch in January, one of the busiest ever for North Korea`s advancing missile programme.
Global concerns over North Korean missile test
The US and South Korean officials have warned that Pyongyang’s launch could lead to resumed testing of long-range weapons and nuclear bombs. The launch was first reported by South Korean and Japanese authorities on Sunday, who condemned it as a threat to regional security.
On Sunday South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the launch takes North Korea a step closer to fully scrapping a self-imposed moratorium on testing its longest-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
What does North Korea say?
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said he is no longer bound by that moratorium, which included a stop to nuclear weapons tests and was announced in 2018 amid a flurry of diplomacy and summits with then-US President Donald Trump.
North Korea suggested this month it could restart those testing activities because the United States and its allies had shown no sign of dropping their “hostile policies.”
January`s testing schedule began with the launch of a new “hypersonic missile,” and went on to include long-range cruise missiles, and short-range ballistic missiles launched from railcars and airports, underscoring the nuclear-armed state`s rapidly expanding and advancing arsenal amid stalled denuclearisation talks.
