North Korea has released photos it says were taken after the launch of the most powerful missile in five years.
The rare photos, taken from space, show parts of the Korean peninsula and surrounding areas.
Pyongyang confirmed on Monday (31) that it has tested a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).
At its maximum power, it is capable of traveling thousands of miles, putting areas such as the American territory of Guam within reach.
The test again raised the alarm among the international community.
Pyongyang carried out a record seven missile launches in the past month alone — an intense wave of activity that has been strongly condemned by the US, South Korea, Japan and other nations.
The UN (United Nations) bans North Korea from carrying out ballistic and nuclear weapons tests — and imposes severe sanctions. But the country regularly defies the ban.
US officials said on Monday that the recent surge in activity warranted further talks with Pyongyang.
What happened at the launch of Hwasong-12?
South Korea and Japan were the first to report the launch on Sunday after detecting it in their anti-missile systems.
They estimate that the missile traveled a moderate distance for an IRBM, around 800 km, and reached an altitude of 2,000 km before landing in Japanese waters.
At full power and on a standard trajectory, the missile is capable of traveling up to 4,000 km.
North Korea confirmed the missile launch on Monday through reports in state media. The country’s insubordinate tests are usually reported in the state press the day after they occur.
State news agency KCNA reported that the missile test was carried out to “verify its accuracy”. And it was purposely angled to land “taking into account the security of neighboring countries”.
State media also published rare footage, some of which it claims were taken by a camera mounted on the missile’s warhead.
One of the images reveals the moment of launch and another apparently shows the missile in full flight, taken from above.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was not present to observe Sunday’s launch, unlike three weeks ago when photos showed his participation in the launch of a hypersonic missile test – a more advanced type of technology, developed to bypass missile detection systems.
These missiles have only been tested by North Korea three times in total.
Why did North Korea fire the missile?
Ankit Panda, an analyst for North Korea, said Kim’s absence and the language used in the press to describe the launch suggested that this test was aimed at verifying that the missile system worked as it should, rather than showing off new technology.
Still, it is the first time that the Hwasong-12, a nuclear-capable missile of significant size, has been launched since North Korea began talks with the United States during the administration of former President Donald Trump – which led to a slowdown in missile activities.
The last time the Hwasong-12 was tested was in 2017, when Pyongyang launched it six times, including twice over the Japanese island of Hokkaido, raising the alarm for residents there.
In 2018, after Kim met Trump, North Korea announced a suspension of tests of nuclear weapons and longer-range intercontinental ballistic missiles.
But the following year, as relations soured, Kim said they were no longer bound by the moratorium declaration.
On Sunday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said that with the latest launch, North Korea “came close to destroying the suspension declaration”.
There are several reasons for North Korea’s increased missile activity this year, which Kim signaled in his New Year’s speech.
Analysts say the tests reflect Kim’s desire to pressure the US to return to long-stagnated nuclear talks, represent a show of force for regional and global powers and may stem from a practical need to test new military command systems. and engineering.
The timing is also significant given that the Beijing Winter Olympics begin later this week and South Korea’s presidential election is set for March.
“It’s consistent with his past behavior of trying to intimidate South Korea and the new president,” says Daniel Pinkston, a professor of international relations at Troy University in the US who lives in South Korea.
There has also been an increase in testing as the North Korean economy suffers from US-led sanctions, difficulties imposed by the pandemic and decades of mismanagement.
Earlier this month, the US imposed further sanctions on North Korea.
Source: Folha
