NKorea Claims Solid-fuel Hypersonic Missile Test

Facts

• South Korea's military said Sunday it detected the first missile test of the year by the North. Pyongyang commented on Monday that it had successfully test-fired a new ballistic missile with a hypersonic, maneuverable warhead. According to the North, this was the first test of a solid-fuel hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).¹
• According to military authorities from South Korea and Japan, the IRBM was fired from a location near Pyongyang and traveled eastward before it crashed in the waters between North Korea and Japan.¹
• North Korean state media reported that Sunday's launch 'never affected the security of any neighboring country and had nothing to do with the regional situation.' Japan issued a statement condemning the ballistic missile launch, saying the test was a clear violation of UN resolutions prohibiting North Korea from conducting the use of such technology and threatening 'the peace and security of Japan, the region, and the international community.'²
• North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programs have achieved many breakthroughs in technology in recent years. IRBM technology is particularly difficult to intercept since it travels at more than five times the speed of sound and is agile.³
• In November, the North launched and successfully placed its first military reconnaissance satellite in orbit. By 2024, it intends to launch three more.⁴

Sources: ¹Time, ²UPI, ³Al Jazeera and ⁴Boston Herald.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Japan Times. Because of Pyongyang's increased military cooperation with Moscow, the recent launch sends a powerful message far beyond the Korean Peninsula and the region. This Russian-North Korean partnership can be seen on the ground in Ukraine, where Russia has employed North Korean weapons while also giving advanced rocket technology to the North. This creates a hazardous precedent — potentially jeopardizing world peace and security.
• Narrative B, as provided by KCNA Watch. North Korea continues to test and develop its defenses against Washington's and Seoul's military provocations. South Korea and the US risk nuclear war by holding multiple military exercises along the North Korean border and in the border region. By bringing in new military assets, such as aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, and strategic heavy bombers, this is threatening not only North Korea but also regional peace and stability. Pyongyang has every right to counter these provocations by expanding its defensive military capabilities.

Predictions