No relaxation in sight
North Korea apparently launches ballistic missile again
April 2, 2024, 1:09 a.m
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The situation between South and North Korea remains tense. The North Korean ruler wants to advance the development of nuclear weapons. Now the South Korean military is reporting another missile launch in the North.
North Korea has launched a ballistic missile, according to a South Korean media report. It was fired into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, citing the South Korean military.
In mid-March, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported that leader Kim Jong Un had supervised a successful test of a solid-fuel engine for a “novel medium-range hypersonic missile.” Thanks to the test, the missile authority was now able to determine by when the new weapon system of strategic value could be completed, it said. An exact time for this was not given.
Relations between North and South Korea are currently at a low point. North Korea’s leader Kim wants to expand weapons development, including tactical nuclear weapons. Over the past two years, North Korea has significantly increased its missile tests and also sharpened its rhetoric against South Korea and the United States, which Pyongyang sees as its main enemies. In response, South Korea and the United States have increased their defense cooperation.
North Korea is subject to international sanctions because of its nuclear weapons and missile programs. Despite the sanctions, the communist leadership has been pushing ahead with the development of nuclear-capable missiles for years. North Korea also said it had already tested hypersonic missiles several times. Such weapons are particularly difficult to intercept because they travel more than five times the speed of sound and are maneuverable.