PYONGYANG – Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) has tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time since 2017.
Officials said it flew over1500 kms and fell in Japanese waters after flying for over an hour.
DPRK officials say it can fly well over 15,000 kilometers.
ICBMs, designed for nuclear arms delivery, could extend DPRK’s strike range as far as the US mainland.
According to dprktoday.com, the test-launch of a new type inter-continental ballistic missile Hwasongpho-17 of the DPRK strategic forces was conducted on March 24, Juche 111 (2022) under the direct guidance of Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and supreme commander of the armed forces of the DPRK.
DPRK leader Kim Jong Un gave the written order to conduct the test-launch of the new type ICBM of the DPRK strategic forces on Wednesday. He visited the launch ground on Thursday and personally guided the overall process of the test-launch of the new type ICBM Hwasongpho-17.
What is Causing Tensions?
Kim Jon Un noted his deep insight into the ever-changing international political situation, the root cause of the daily-escalating military tension in and around the Korean peninsula.
“The long-term demand of our revolution stems from the inevitability of the long-standing confrontation with the U.S. imperialists accompanied by the danger of a nuclear war,” said a top DPRK official.
The official adds that the Juche-oriented defence development strategy is a policy of bolstering in a sustained way the nuclear war deterrence.
During Kim Jon Un’s visit to the launch site, he was told the endeavor is for bolstering the national defence capabilities with top priority given to the development of the new-type ICBM in particular, the Hwasongpho-17 type weapon system.
“This is a symbol of Juche power and fruition of self-reliance, which completes a core strike means and a reliable nuclear war deterrence means of the DPRK strategic forces,” the official adds.
The Missle
DPRK scientists and researchers, fully armed with the idea of a self-reliant defence strategy, vigorously waged a research and development campaign with creative wisdom and unyielding mentality, thereby producing the new-type ICBM in a short time.
Kim Jong Un learned in detail about the preparations for the test-launch of the weapon at first hand on the spot on Thursday afternoon and gave an order to advance to the launching position.
He went to the launching position and gave detailed guidance until the last process of the launch, giving strength and courage to the defence scientists and missile maintenance crew involved in the launch to bring about a momentous time when the epochal development of the defence capabilities of the country would be demonstrated all over the world.
After the General Secretary entered the general launch control center together with leading officials in the field of defence science research, a combat alarm for the launch was sounded at the launching site.
That moment, brightening flame heated the earth along with a loud boom, officials said.
The test launch was carried out in a vertical launch mode in consideration of the security of neighboring countries.The missile, launched at Pyongyang International Airport, traveled up to a maximum altitude of 6 248.5 km and flew a distance of 1 090 km for 4 052s before accurately hitting the pre-set area in open waters of the East Sea of Korea.
The test-launch clearly proved that all the parameters of the weapon system exactly met the design requirements and that its prompt operation can be guaranteed scientifically, technically and practically under wartime environment and conditions.