North Korea today conducted its tenth missile test since the beginning of the year, but the launch apparently failed, according to Seoul.
South Korea's national news agency Yonhap reported, citing the country's general staff of national defense, that Pyongyang fired an "unknown type" missile from the Sunan area, where the North Korean capital's international airport is located, at 09:30 (local time; 02:30 GMT).
South Korean and US intelligence agencies are "further analyzing" the parameters of the failed test, the staff added, according to Yonap.
An official at Japan's defense ministry said it was a ballistic missile test, according to Kyodo news agency and public television network NHK.
The US Pentagon condemned the test and demanded that Pyongyang refrain from further destabilizing actions.
Pyongyang has been escalating tensions since the beginning of the year. Today's was the tenth missile launch since January. It became clear in Seoul days ago that North Korea is expected to soon carry out its threat to resume testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), lifting the moratorium it unilaterally declared in 2017.
On Friday, in a joint statement, the US and South Korea accused North Korea of using its largest intercontinental ballistic missile ever tested, the Hwasong-17, in two recent launches (February 27, March 5) under the pretext of its preparations to put "reconnaissance satellites" into orbit.
The Hwasong-17 missile system made its first appearance during a military parade in Pyongyang in 2020. It reappeared at a defense equipment exhibition in October 2021. It had never been tested, at least until recent launches.
UN Security Council resolutions theoretically prohibit Pyongyang, a self-declared nuclear power, from launching ballistic missiles.
This week, the U.S. announced that it has beefed up missile defense systems deployed in South Korea and conducted air drills in the Yellow Sea, where its carrier strike force sails.
North Korea has been under heavy international sanctions since 2006 because of its missile and nuclear weapons development programs. However, the US considers the most recent tests to be a "very serious escalation" and will consider imposing new sanctions in response.
Analysts note that with Russia unlikely to agree to new sanctions on North Korea, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, Pyongyang appears to have concluded that now is the time to act.
In April, the country will celebrate the 110th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, grandfather of its current leader Kim Jong Un and the country's founder, and satellite photos suggest it is preparing to hold a major military parade.
Any new ICBM launches would be the first major challenge to South Korea's president-elect, the conservative Yoon Sook-gel, who pledged during the election to take a much tougher line on North Korea than his predecessor.
Mr. Yun has not ruled out the resumption of denuclearization negotiations, which have remained at a complete stalemate since 2019, but his tough rhetoric is seen as drastically reducing the scope for meaningful dialogue.
Source: APE-MPA
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
