North Korea tests most powerful missile capable of striking US territory; explained what it means

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.

Bigger missiles

The United States shares the concerns that North Korea`s escalating missile tests could be precursors to resumed tests of nuclear weapons and ICBMs, a senior US official said on Sunday night, while urging Pyongyang to join direct talks with no preconditions.

"They are looking to take actions, which we believe are fundamentally destabilizing, as a way to increase pressure," the official told a briefing of journalists in Washington. "I think that there probably is a component that is also to validate the systems that they`ve developed and further refine them."

It is unclear if IRBMs such as the Hwasong-12 were included in Kim`s moratorium, but those, too, have not been tested since 2017. 
That year North Korea flight-tested the Hwasong-12 at least six times, achieving three successful flights and three failures.

Different types of weapons tested by N Korea so far this month

Hypersonic missiles

North Korea said it tested a new type of "hypersonic missile" on Jan. 5 and again on Jan. 11, with Kim Jong-Un reported to have attended the second launch. Hypersonic weapons usually fly towards targets at lower altitudes than ballistic missiles and can achieve more than five times the speed of sound - or about 6,200 km per hour (3,850mph).

Despite their name, analysts say the main feature of hypersonic weapons is not the speed, but their manoeuvrability, which can help them evade missile defence systems. South Korean officials questioned the claimed capabilities of the missile after the first test but said the second test appeared to demonstrate greater performance.

Analysts said if Pyongyang can perfect such weapons, it would represent a potentially major upgrade in its striking power against its nearby adversaries.

KN-23 SRBM

On Jan. 14 North Korea launched a pair of short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) from a train near the northern border with China, in what state media said was a short-notice drill aimed at boosting the proficiency of the troops operating the missiles.

Despite the country`s limited and sometimes unreliable rail network, rail-mobile missiles are a relatively cheap and efficient option to improve the survivability of their nuclear forces, making it difficult for enemies to detect and destroy them before being fired, according to analysts.

The missiles appeared to be KN-23 SRBMs, which were first tested in May 2019, and are designed to evade missile defences by flying on a lower, "depressed" trajectory, experts said.

North Korea later fired another pair of KN-23 missiles this time from a wheeled launching vehicle. The tests confirmed the "explosive power" of its conventional warhead, state media said, while analysts noted it travelled on its lowest trajectory yet.

KN-24 SRBM

North Korea launched two SRBMs in a rare test from an airport in its capital, Pyongyang, on Jan. 17. The pair of missiles "precisely hit an island target" off the east coast, according to state media. Analysts said the missiles appeared to be KN-24 SRBMs which were last tested in March 2020 and appear to have entered mass production and deployment with military units.

The KN-24 resembles the U.S. MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and, like the KN-23, is designed to evade missile defences by flying on a flatter trajectory than traditional ballistic missiles.

Long-range cruise missiles

State media reported two long-range cruise missiles were fired on Jan. 25, travelling 1,800 km before hitting a target in the sea off North Korea`s east coast. The cruise missile would play a role in "boosting the war deterrence of the country," state news agency KCNA said.

In September, North Korea tested a new "strategic" cruise missile for the first time, seen as possibly the country`s first such weapon with a nuclear capability. Analysts said the latest cruise missile appeared to be similar but also showed signs of being a possible variant.

North Korea`s cruise missiles usually generate less interest than ballistic missiles because they are not explicitly banned under U.N. Security Council Resolutions, but analysts say land-attack cruise missiles can be no less a threat than ballistic missiles.

HWASONG-12

North Korea first launched the Hwasong-12 IRBM in April 2017, in a test that “pinwheeled” out of control and was considered a failure by U.S. and South Korean officials. Two more test flights that month also ended in apparent failure, with the missiles exploding seconds after launch or breaking up in flight.

The first successful flight was in May 2017, and North Korea went on to launch two more Hwasong-12s that year, flying them over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. In Sunday`s test, North Korea said it fired the missile on an elevated trajectory "in consideration of the safety of neighbouring countries."

The test "confirmed the accuracy, safety, and operational effectiveness of the produced Hwasong-12 type weapon system," KCNA said. South Korea reported the missile reached an altitude of about 2,000 km (1,243 miles) and flew to a distance of 800 km.

The Hwasong-12 has an estimated range of 4,500 km (2,800 miles), which would put the U.S. territory of Guam and the far western tip of Alaska`s Aleutian Islands chain within reach, according to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

It can carry a "large-size heavy nuclear warhead," according to state media, and in 2017 North Korea threatened to use it to target Guam with "enveloping fire."

(With Reuters inputs)

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