North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw hypersonic missile firing drills, state media reported Monday, citing a “grave geopolitical crisis.” In this photo, viewers watch a news report about the missile launch, which took place Sunday. Photo by Yonhap
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw hypersonic missile firing drills, state media reported Monday, citing a “geopolitical crisis” as justification for a weapons test that followed recent U.S. military action in Venezuela.
The missiles were launched Sunday from a military base near Pyongyang toward the East Sea and successfully struck designated targets about 621 miles away, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
The launch took place shortly after the United States announced the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a large-scale military strike, an episode Kim appeared to reference in his comments.
“Such activity is clearly aimed at gradually putting the nuclear war deterrent on a highly developed basis,” Kim was quoted by KCNA as saying. “The reason why it is necessary is exemplified by the recent geopolitical crisis and complicated international events.”
North Korea has long cited U.S. military actions abroad and the presence of American forces in the region as justification for advancing its nuclear weapons and missile programs, which it says are intended for deterrence.
In a separate statement carried by KCNA on Sunday, a spokesperson for Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. action in Venezuela, calling it evidence of “the rogue and brutal nature of the United States.”
North Korea “denounces the U.S. hegemony-seeking act committed in Venezuela as the most serious form of encroachment on sovereignty and as a wanton violation of the U.N. Charter and international laws,” the spokesperson said.
The missile launch also came amid a sensitive regional backdrop, as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung was preparing to depart for Beijing for high-stakes summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
South Korea’s military said it detected multiple ballistic missiles launched by the North on Sunday morning, condemning the action as a “clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.”
In a text message sent to reporters, the Defense Ministry urged Pyongyang to “immediately cease its continued provocations … and actively participate in our government’s efforts to normalize relations and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
U.S. Forces Korea said in a statement it was aware of the launches and was consulting closely with allies and partners.
“Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies,” it said.
North Korea first tested what it described as a “new cutting-edge weapon system” using hypersonic missiles in October.
Hypersonic weapons travel at least five times the speed of sound and are capable of maneuvering in flight, making them more difficult to detect and intercept than conventional ballistic missiles.
