North Korea Test Fires 5 Missiles, Ignoring International Sanctions
According to analysts in South Korea, the medium-range missile test by North Korea last week may have been a test for the re-entry into the technology.
North Korea has test-fired five short-range missiles into the sea recently in continuation to its series of weapon launches, amidst sanctions. North Korea is believed to have carried out the tests in response to the ongoing United States and South Korea’s joint military drills, which it sees as a provocation of the deal it has with the US.
The five projectiles have been launched from the northeastern city of Hamhung in North Korea. The Missiles flew for about 200 kilometers before landing into the waters of North Korea’s east coast, confirmed by South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff.
Three days ahead of the tests, South Korea has alarmed, that North Korea is going to launch its first medium-range missile into the sea since 2014 in violation of the UN resolutions against such tests.
In past few weeks, North Korea has once emerged more rude and violent, showing its eagerness to fight, threatening nuclear strikes against Washington and Seoul by firing short-range missiles and artillery shell into the sea earlier this month. Experts believe the firing of missiles by North Korea is the result of the provocation by the annual springtime US-South Korean joint military exercises, that North Korea believes are a rehearsal for an invasion.
According to analysts in South Korea, the medium-range missile test by North Korea last week may have been a test for the re-entry into the technology. Though North Korea is yet to comment on these latest missile developments.
The US-South Korean joint military drills this year is considered to be the largest ever and started immediately after North Korea conducted a nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch earlier this month, which forced UN Security Council to impose tough sanctions against North Korea in two decades.
According to internal reports, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered tests of nuclear and ballistic missiles which are capable of carrying out warheads. He issued the orders while overseeing a successful simulated project test, the re-entry vehicle is aimed at returning of the nuclear warhead on the atmosphere from space so that it could hit its intended target.
The re-entry vehicle is regarded as one of the latest major technologies which North Korea has developed to master the long-range missiles that are equipped with nuclear weapons capable of reaching the mainland of the United States.