North Korea broke its silence on a recent flurry of missile tests on Monday as its state media reported that the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, had overseen the test launches of several nuclear-capable short-range ballistic missiles, including one that was fired from an underwater silo.
The report was the first time that North Korea claimed it was building underwater nuclear weapons silos, suggesting that the country was developing technology that would make its missiles more difficult to detect and intercept.
North Korean news media also published photos that purported to show a ballistic missile rising from under the waters of a reservoir. One of the recent tests, it said, was a rehearsal for firing nuclear weapons at airports in South Korea.
The North has launched 12 ballistic missiles in seven weapons tests in the last two weeks. All of them have been short-range missiles, except the intermediate-range ballistic missile launched on Oct. 4 that flew over Japan, triggering alarms across the country’s north.
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On Monday, state-run media reported Mr. Kim’s presence at the testing sites for the first time in five months, releasing a ream of photographs. The country has conducted a record 25 missile tests this year.
An increase in activity. In recent months, North Korea has conducted several missile tests, hinting at an increasingly defiant attitude toward countries that oppose its growing military arsenal. Here’s what to know:
U.N. resolutions. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula started rising in 2017, when North Korea tested three intercontinental ballistic missiles and conducted a nuclear test. The United Nations imposed sanctions, and Pyongyang stopped testing nuclear and long-range missiles for a time.
Failed diplomacy. Former President Donald Trump met with Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, three times between 2018 and 2019, hoping to reach a deal on North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. After the talks broke down, North Korea resumed missile testing.
An escalation. North Korea started a new round of testing in September 2021 after a six-month hiatus. It has since completed several tests, including the firing of multiple intermediate-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles, that violated the 2017 U.N. resolutions.
A new provocation. On Oct. 4, 2022, North Korea fired an intermediate range ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years. The missile flew about 2,800 miles, the longest distance ever traveled by a North Korean weapon, according to officials in Tokyo and Seoul.
He said his country felt no need to engage in “dialogue with the enemies.”
The report was the first time that North Korea claimed it was building underwater nuclear weapons silos, suggesting that the country was developing technology that would make its missiles more difficult to detect and intercept.
North Korean news media also published photos that purported to show a ballistic missile rising from under the waters of a reservoir. One of the recent tests, it said, was a rehearsal for firing nuclear weapons at airports in South Korea.
The North has launched 12 ballistic missiles in seven weapons tests in the last two weeks. All of them have been short-range missiles, except the intermediate-range ballistic missile launched on Oct. 4 that flew over Japan, triggering alarms across the country’s north.
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Continue reading the main story
On Monday, state-run media reported Mr. Kim’s presence at the testing sites for the first time in five months, releasing a ream of photographs. The country has conducted a record 25 missile tests this year.
The Significance of North Korea’s Missile Tests
Card 1 of 5An increase in activity. In recent months, North Korea has conducted several missile tests, hinting at an increasingly defiant attitude toward countries that oppose its growing military arsenal. Here’s what to know:
U.N. resolutions. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula started rising in 2017, when North Korea tested three intercontinental ballistic missiles and conducted a nuclear test. The United Nations imposed sanctions, and Pyongyang stopped testing nuclear and long-range missiles for a time.
Failed diplomacy. Former President Donald Trump met with Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, three times between 2018 and 2019, hoping to reach a deal on North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. After the talks broke down, North Korea resumed missile testing.
An escalation. North Korea started a new round of testing in September 2021 after a six-month hiatus. It has since completed several tests, including the firing of multiple intermediate-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles, that violated the 2017 U.N. resolutions.
A new provocation. On Oct. 4, 2022, North Korea fired an intermediate range ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years. The missile flew about 2,800 miles, the longest distance ever traveled by a North Korean weapon, according to officials in Tokyo and Seoul.
He said his country felt no need to engage in “dialogue with the enemies.”
North Korea Says It Is Building Underwater Nuclear Weapons Silos
The country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has inspected a recent flurry of missile tests, vowing to increase — and never give up — his nuclear weapons.
www.nytimes.com