The doubt is now lifted: North Korea confirmed, on Sunday February 19, that it had fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) the day before as a common warning sign to the United States and South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered Saturday at 8 a.m. local time (midnight Paris time) to carry out a “launch exercise” surprise. A Hwasong-15 missile was then fired from Pyongyang airport during the afternoon, according to the state agency KCNA. The first test of a Hwasong-15 was conducted by Pyongyang in 2017.
In response, the South Korean military said on Sunday that it had organized joint aerial maneuvers with the United States, mobilizing stealth aircraft, at least one American B-1B long-range bomber. “Exercise has [permis de] demonstrate the timely and immediate deployment of U.S. extended deterrence assets on the Korean Peninsula”testifying to the “overwhelming force” allies, the South Korean Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The South Korean military had claimed to have detected the launch of an ICBM on Saturday at 5:22 p.m. local time (9:22 a.m. Paris time) which Tokyo said flew for sixty-six minutes over a distance of about 900 kilometers, before falling into its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and which, according to its observations, would be able to reach the American continent.
A first test for seven weeks
North Korean authorities hailed the trial – the country’s first in seven weeks – which they say demonstrates ” the capacity [de combat] effective ICBM units, capable [d’effectuer] a mobile and powerful counter-attack”according to KCNA, which represents a “obvious proof” the reliability of the “powerful physical nuclear deterrent” of Pyongyang, the agency added.
This launch is part of an upcoming simulation exercise conducted jointly by South Korea and the United States, which is to be held next week in Washington and whose objective is to discuss the measures to be taken in use of nuclear weapons by Pyongyang.
Kim Jong-un’s regime threatened Friday to react with “countermeasures (…) strong and unprecedented” US-South Korean maneuvers to come, seeing in them the preparations for an armed conflict and the cause of the deterioration of the security situation on the Korean peninsula.
According to Ankit Panda, a security expert based in the United States, Saturday’s test is of considerable importance, because the shooting “was ordained the same day, so it is not a traditional ‘trial’ but an exercise”.
This exercise seems to be “A way for Kim to tell the United States and the [Corée du Sud] that his country continues to improve its ballistic missile skills for possible use in a real-time scenario”observes Soo Kim, a former CIA analyst.
“Weapons are not just for display”she also explains to Agence France-Presse, adding however that the nine hours that elapsed between Kim Jong-un’s order and the shooting constitute “a long term”. According to her, Pyongyang could be faced with “bigger challenges” if he carried out a launch under conditions “realistic”.
International convictions
“This firing unnecessarily aggravates tensions and risks destabilizing security in the region”said White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson on Saturday. “It constitutes a flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions”added the American official.
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In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries – Germany, Canada, United States, France, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom – for their part condemned “the irresponsible behavior of North Korea”which requires, according to them, “a unified response from the international community. This act constitutes a flagrant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and threatens regional and international peace and security.”.
The European Union, for its part, denounced “a dangerous and reckless action that endangers international and regional peace and security”according to a press release from the spokesperson for the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
Return of tension
The year 2022 has been marked by a strong resurgence of tension on the peninsula. The parenthesis of relative appeasement initiated in 2018 by South Korean President Moon Jae-in (2017-2022), which was marked by the 2018 and 2019 summits between Kim Jong-un and the President of the United States, Donald Trump (2017-2021), seems definitively closed.
In early 2022, the leader of North Korea called for “Building National Defense Capabilities”. The war in Ukraine contributed to confirming this choice. Pyongyang gives unfailing support to Moscow. The regime recognized Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territories and reportedly supplied Moscow with 100,000 shells. In exchange, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, spoke of economic and military aid to Pyongyang.
The arrival of Yoon Seok-youl to power in Seoul, elected on the promise of a policy of firmness vis-à-vis Pyongyang, a strengthening of the alliance with the United States and a rapprochement with Japan, also convinced North Korea to harden its positions.
All joint military maneuvers between the United States and South Korea infuriate Pyongyang, which sees them as a rehearsal for a possible invasion and has often responded with threats and drills from its side.
On Sunday, Pyongyang’s spokeswoman and sister of its leader, Kim Yo-jong, said it was these steps taken by Seoul and Washington “who put in danger at every moment” the peninsula and deteriorate its “stability”according to KCNA. “I warn that we will monitor every movement of the enemy and engage the corresponding, very powerful and overwhelming countermeasure against all such hostile movements towards us”she added.