North Korea Launches Suspected ICBM Ballistic Missile

Launched from Pyongyang Area into the East Sea
10 Months After Firing Hwasong-18 in December Last Year

North Korea launched a ballistic missile, presumed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), into the East Sea on the 31st.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "The military detected a ballistic missile launched from the Pyongyang area toward the East Sea at around 7:10 a.m. today," adding, "It is presumed to be a long-range ballistic missile launched at a high angle." They further noted, "The military has heightened its alert posture and is maintaining full readiness while closely sharing information related to North Korea's ballistic missile with U.S. and Japanese authorities."

Earlier, on the 30th (local time), the defense ministers of South Korea and the United States held the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Washington D.C., where they jointly condemned North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia in the strongest terms. Shortly after this, North Korea launched the ICBM.

North Korea's ICBM launch appears to express dissatisfaction toward the joint condemnation by South Korea and the U.S. regarding its troop deployment to Russia, while also aiming to divert international attention away from Russia.

This is the first ICBM provocation by North Korea this year, occurring 10 months after the launch of the Hwasong-18 ICBM on December 18 last year. North Korea's ballistic missile provocations occurred 43 days after the previous launch on the 18th of last month. At that time, North Korea launched a mix of a new tactical ballistic missile, the Hwasongpo-11da-4.5, with a warhead weighing 4.5 tons, and cruise missiles.