[Comprehensive] North Korea Fires Multiple Short-Range Ballistic Missiles... Will They Launch Additional ICBMs?

Short-Range Ballistic Missiles Launched into the East Sea After 8 Days
Possibility of Additional ICBM Launches Before Trump's Inauguration

North Korea has once again launched ballistic missiles into the East Sea. This marks eight days since North Korea's "missile provocation" on the 6th of this month, when it fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). The missiles are presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM).

Yonhap News

On the 14th, the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Ministry of National Defense press corps, "At around 9:30 a.m. today, North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles from the Jagang Province, Kangye area, into the East Sea, with the missiles landing approximately 250 km away," adding, "We are currently sharing related information with the United States and Japan and are comprehensively analyzing the detailed specifications."

North Korea conducted a hypersonic IRBM test launch on the 6th. Hypersonic missiles fly at speeds exceeding Mach 5 (6,120 km/h). At this speed, it takes only about one minute to fly from Pyongyang to Seoul.

Analysts suggest that North Korea's successive missile provocations are part of a "show of strength" to raise its bargaining power ahead of the inauguration of Donald Trump's second administration scheduled for the 20th. Last year, North Korea launched multiple SRBMs six hours before the U.S. presidential election. Five days earlier, on October 31, it test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) effectively aimed at the United States.

On the day of the U.S. presidential election last November, North Korea launched multiple SRBMs from the Sariwon area in North Hwanghae Province into the East Sea. Considering this, there are forecasts that North Korea may launch additional ICBMs ahead of President Trump's inauguration. Internally, since this year is the final year of the five-year plan for defense capability development, North Korea needs to show results. At the end of last month, it also moved a transporter erector launcher (TEL) capable of launching ICBMs around the Pyongyang area.