WASHINGTON: The United States and South Korea held high-level talks on Thursday following North Korea test-fired one of its newest and most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), demonstrating its threat to the US mainland days ahead of presidential elections.
The latest weapons test was the first since North Korea was accused of deploying troops to Russia to support the invasion of Ukraine, triggering alarm and warnings by Europe, Washington and Seoul.
The missile launch, which South Korean officials believe involved a solid-fueled long-range ballistic missile, reached an altitude of 7,000 kilometers and traveled 1,000 kilometers on a lofted trajectory, according to South Korean and Japanese military sources.
Tokyo reported that this missile flew longer than any previously tested by North Korea, remaining airborne for 86 minutes, marking a new record for North Korean missile capabilities.
The timing of North Korea’s latest launch appears to be deliberate. Analysts suggest it may be intended to divert international attention from recent criticisms regarding North Korea’s alleged troop support for Russia, as well as to signal its military prowess ahead of the US presidential election.
Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said that Pyongyang’s missile launch is likely an attempt to “distract from international criticism of its troop deployment.”
The test adds urgency to the already-scheduled talks between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and their South Korean counterparts. South Korean President Yook Suk Yeol condemned the launch as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and announced new independent sanctions against Pyongyang.
The United States, South Korea, and Japan plan to hold joint military exercises, with US strategic assets expected to participate. The White House and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have denounced the missile launch as a clear violation of Security Council resolutions.
The Korean Central News Agency quoted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as calling the launch a “necessary military action” to demonstrate North Korea’s “counteraction will,” vowing that the country “will never change its line of bolstering up its nuclear forces.”
While North Korea denies sending troops to Russia, recent comments from its vice foreign minister indicated that if such a deployment were to occur, it would be “in line with international law.” Western intelligence suggests, however, that Pyongyang’s recent actions may be part of a larger deal with Moscow, signed in June.