South Korean military North Korea fired two medium-range ballistic missiles Sunday.
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| FILE PHOTO; In Seoul, people watch news reports of North Korea firing a ballistic missile toward its east coast. |
WASHINGTON —
North Korea launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles on Sunday, the South Korean military said. A few days ago, Pyongyang announced that it had successfully tested a solid-fuel engine for a new weapon system.
Military tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated sharply this year, with Pyongyang conducting unprecedented weapons tests, including last month's launch of the country's most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile ever.
South Korea's General Staff Headquarters said the South Korean military detected two ballistic missiles fired from the Dongchang-ri area of North Pyongan Province.
Yonhap News Agency said that North Korea fired two medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM) into the eastern waters of the Korean Peninsula from 11:13 am to 12:55 am on Sunday in Dongchang-ri, North Pyongan Province. The missiles flew about 500 kilometers.
"Our military has stepped up surveillance and vigilance while maintaining full combat readiness in close cooperation with the United States," South Korea's General Staff added in a statement.
Sunday's missile launch came three days after North Korea tested a "large Thrust solid fuel engine," North Korean state media described as an important test of "the development of another new strategic weapon system."
Pyongyang has built an arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles despite tough international sanctions on North Korea's weapons program.
However, North Korea's existing ICBMs are all propelled by liquid fuel, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made developing solid-fuel engines for more advanced missiles a strategic priority.
Kim Jong-un said this year he wanted North Korea to have the world's most powerful nuclear force, declaring North Korea an "irreversible" nuclear power.
A wish list he revealed last year included solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be launched from land or submarines.
Analysts said the latest engine test was a step toward that goal, but it was unclear how far North Korea had come in developing the missile.
After overseeing the launch of the Hwasong-17 "Monster" missile last month, Kim Jong-un declared he wanted North Korea to have the most powerful nuclear force in the world.
The isolated nation's policy direction for next year will be set at a key party meeting later this month, with North Korea's official KCNA news agency reporting earlier that Kim said 2023 would be a "historic year".
For the past few years, Kim Jong-un has delivered his speech on Jan. 1 each year but recently abandoned that tradition in favor of a statement at the Labor Party plenary meeting at the end of the year.
In his most recent speech, delivered on New Year's Day last year, Kim Jong-un focused on domestic affairs.
While Kim Jong-un did not address the United States directly in his speech last year, he may change his tone this time around, experts said.
The United States and South Korea have warned for months that this could happen when North Korea conducts its seventh nuclear test.
North Korea has fired an unprecedented number of missiles this year in defiance of international sanctions. According to statistics released by North Korea’s official media, as of the 18th of last month, North Korea has launched a total of 36 times, 62 ballistic missiles and 3 cruise missiles.
North Korea has been sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council several times since 2006 for its nuclear weapons and missile activities.
(This article is based on an AFP report.)
