North Korea tested “long-range cruise missile” | Criticism of the United States, South Korea and Japan

North Korea tested new model of “long-range cruise missile” this weekend, a launch that has drawn criticism from the United States, South Korea and Japan, among others. As reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), it is a “strategic weapon of great importance ”.

The test launches They took place this Saturday and Sunday and were supervised by the high authorities of the country. The missiles flew over North Korea and its territorial waters and they hit targets 1,500 kilometers away.

Footage from the Rodong Sinmun daily showed the moment a missile came out of one of a launcher’s five tubes in the middle of a fireball, as well as a missile in horizontal flight.

The KCNA agency classified the missile as “strategic weapon of great importance” and added that “the efficiency and functionality of the weapon system has proven to be excellent.” He added that the development of the missile system gives North Korea “another deterrent “to protect themselves and” strongly contain the military maneuvers of hostile forces “.

Various analysts have agreed that this weapon represents an important advance in North Korean warfare technology.

“A threat to the neighbors”

The United States Army, For its part, questioned the launch over the weekend and warned of the threat it poses. “This activity shows that the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) continues to develop its military program, which means threats against your neighbors and the international community“the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.

Currently, the Asian country faces numerous international sanctions for its nuclear and ballistic programs, which it continues to develop.. The same goes for the production of cruise missiles, which it has already tested on previous occasions.

Nuclear talks with the United States have stalled since 2019: the impoverished country has shown no willingness to give up its atomic arsenal and has backed down on South Korea’s efforts to restart dialogue.

According to AFP, Sung Kim, US President Joe Biden’s envoy to North Korea, has repeatedly expressed his willingness to meet his counterparts “anywhere, anytime.”

Another country that referred to the launch of North Korea was South Korea, who claimed to do “A detailed analysis (of the evidence) in close cooperation with South Korean and American intelligence agencies.”

The government of Japan too expressed concern and indicated that a missile of this range “This poses a threat to the peace and security of Japan and the region.”

Launch of tests

The launches came shortly after a low-key parade in Pyongyang – when no nuclear test or ICBM had been carried out since 2017 – to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the country.

The tests, however, were not an isolated phenomenon. South Korea last week tested a self-made ballistic missile launched by a submarine, a technology that the neighbor to the north wanted to develop. In fact, in January of this year, Pyongyang exposed four of these missiles during a military parade overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a technology the KCNA has called “the world’s most powerful weapon.” .

North Korea has also released photographs of submarine launches, the most recent in 2019, but analysts believe they were launched not from a submarine but from fixed platforms.