Monday, September 13, 2021
Dispute over nuclear weapons program
North Korea tests cruise missiles
North Korea is again flexing its muscles militarily: According to the South Korean media, cruise missiles were used in a test. These are not subject to UN sanctions, but they have a threatening scope.
The self-proclaimed nuclear power North Korea has, according to South Korean information, tested new cruise missiles with long ranges over the weekend. The South Korean news agency Yonhap announced on Monday (local time), citing the North Korean agency KCNA. The new type was therefore tested on Saturday and Sunday after two years of research.
UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, which, depending on their design, can also carry nuclear warheads. However, tests of cruise missiles are not subject to sanctions against the country. Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles have their own permanent drive. The country is subject to international sanctions because of its nuclear weapons program.
The North Korean news agency KCNA reported, according to Yonhap, that the development of the long-range cruise missile, a strategic weapon of great importance, has been pushed forward in recent years. Detailed tests of rocket parts, a large number of engine tests on the ground, control and steering tests were carried out successfully.
On Thursday night, North Korea held a night military parade for the third time in a year. The occasion of the troop show in the center of the capital Pyongyang was the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the state. North Korea often uses important holidays or memorial days to show military strength. The country last held a military parade under a night sky in January and before that in October 2020, demonstrating ballistic missiles with different ranges.
Negotiations on the North Korean nuclear program have made no headway since the failed summit meeting between Kim Jong Un and former US President Donald Trump in Vietnam in February 2019. At a party congress earlier this year, Kim announced that his country would strengthen nuclear deterrence with new weapons, including new ICBMs.
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