conflicts on Friday fired two short-range ballistic missiles in its third weapons launch this month, officials in world-regions said, in an apparent reprisal for fresh sanctions imposed by the joe-biden” target=”_blank”>Biden administration<’s Prime Minister’s Office and the Defense Ministry also detected the launch, while its coast guard urged vessels to pay attention to falling objects.
NORTH KOREA MISSILE LAUNCH THAT GROUNDED FAA FLIGHTS REPRESENTS ‘DIRECT THREAT’ TO US: REP. TURNER
Hours earlier, North Korea issued a statement berating the Biden administration for imposing fresh finance over its missile tests and warned of stronger and more explicit action if Washington maintains its “confrontational stance.”
The sanctions targeted five North Koreans over their roles in obtaining equipment and technology for the North’s missile programs in its response to the North’s missile test this week. Washington also said it would seek new U.N. sanctions.
This photo provided by the North Korean government shows what it says a test launch of a hypersonic missile on Jan. 11, 2022 in North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)
The previous test-launch of a hypersonic missile on Tuesday — the second a week — was overseen by leader kim-jong-un” target=”_blank”>Kim Jong Un<
Following an unusually provocative run in nuclear and long-range missile tests in 2017 that demonstrated the North’s pursuit of an arsenal that could target the American homeland, Kim initiated diplomacy with former donald-trump” target=”_blank”>President Donald Trump<
“North Korea is trying to lay a trap for the Biden administration,” Easley said. “It has queued up missiles that it wants to test anyway and is responding to U.S. pressure with additional provocations in an effort to extort concessions.”
In this undated photo provided on Sunday, June 23, 2019, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reads a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump.
(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
In a statement carried by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency, an unidentified Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday defended the launches as a righteous exercise of self-defense.
The spokesperson said the new sanctions underscore hostile U.S. intent aimed at “isolating and stifling” the North. The spokesperson accused Washington of maintaining a “gangster-like” stance, saying that the North’s development of the new missile is part of its efforts to modernize its military and does not target any specific country or threaten the security of its neighbors.
Hypersonic weapons, which fly at speeds in excess of Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, could pose a crucial challenge to missile defenses because of their speed and maneuverability.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, attends a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party in Pyongyang, North Korea. The photo was taken during Dec. 27 – Dec. 31, 2021, according to the source. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
Such weapons were on a wish-list of sophisticated military assets Kim unveiled early last year along with multi-warhead missiles, spy satellites, solid-fuel long-range missiles and submarine-launched nuclear missiles.
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Still, experts say North Korea would need years and more successful and longer-range tests before acquiring a credible hypersonic system.
In an interview with MSNBC, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the North’s latest tests “profoundly destabilizing” and said the United States was deeply engaged at the U.N. and with key partners, including allies South Korea and Japan, on a response.
“I think some of this is North Korea trying to get attention. It’s done that in the past. It’ll probably continue to do that,” Blinken said. “But we are very focused with allies and partners in making sure that they and we are properly defended and that there are repercussions, consequences for these actions by North Korea.”
