Wednesday January 12, 2022
Dictator pursues weapon test
Kim Jong Un praises North Korea’s missile technology
North Korea has been driving the development of its missile program for years. In the past few days, the communist country has detonated several test missiles. Ruler Kim Jong Un is satisfied.
North Korea claims that it has made further progress in developing hypersonic missiles that are potentially capable of nuclear weapons. Rulers Kim Jong Un followed the test of a hypersonic missile by the Defense Science Academy on Tuesday, the state-controlled media reported. Kim praised the great success in developing such weapons.
According to observers, the latest test underscored the country’s intention to modernize its weapons systems. It was the third time since September that North Korea claims to have tested a hypersonic missile.
Hypersonic weapons are particularly difficult to intercept because they can reach more than five times the speed of sound and are maneuverable. So-called hypersonic gliders can be launched from ballistic missiles. UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, which, depending on their design, can also carry a nuclear warhead.
South Korea and Japan spoke on Tuesday of testing a suspected ballistic missile by North Korea. The South Korean military spoke of possible technical improvements compared to the North Korean missile test last week.
In the most recent test, according to reports in the North Korean media, the “superior maneuverability of the hypersonic gliding missile was demonstrated even more conspicuously by the last test launch”. The development of such weapons is one of the “five core tasks” of last year’s five-year plan for expanding defense capabilities.
For years, the communist leadership in Pyongyang has primarily been promoting the development of missiles that could be equipped with nuclear warheads. It is therefore subject to severe international sanctions.