UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres denounces a “escalation”. South Korea and the United States launched several missiles on Wednesday (October 5th) towards targets at sea, the day after North Korea fired a ballistic missile that passed over Japan. This year, Pyongyangwhich is equipped with nuclear weapons, has intensified its projects to modernize its armaments. The UN Security Council is due to meet on Wednesday on this subject. France info takes stock of the situation.
A North Korean missile launch flies over Japan, a first since 2017
He flew a distance of about 4,500 km, at an altitude of 970 km. North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Tuesday, October 4, which flew over Japan. Tokyo confirmed the shooting, activating – unusually – a public alert system and asking residents of two northern regions of Japan to take shelter if possible. According to experts and senior officials, the missile is a nuclear-capable Hwasong-12.
Pyongyang’s last missile launch over Japan was in 2017, at the height of the ‘fire and fury’ period during which North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the then US president , Donald Trump, exchanged insults.
“This is an act of violence that follows the recent repeated firing of ballistic missiles. We strongly condemn it”, reacted the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida. Seoul also called the shot a “provocation” violating “clearly the universal principles and standards of the United Nations”.
South Korea and the United States retaliate with missiles launched at sea
In the process, Washington promised an answer “robust” to this shot, in order to reaffirm “unwavering commitment” of his country to its Asian allies, Japan and South Korea. South Korean and American fighter jets first conducted precision strike drills on Tuesday, with the dropping of bombs on a virtual target in the Yellow Sea by two South Korean F-15K fighter jets.
On Wednesday, the South Korean and US armies each fired two ATACMS short-range ballistic missiles “to accurately hit a virtual target” in the Sea of Japan. Objective, according to a press release from the South Korean general staff: to show “that we are able and ready to neutralize the origin of the provocation while maintaining a position of constant surveillance”.
Seoul, however, confirmed the failed launch of a fifth Hyunmoo-2 short-range ballistic missile, which crashed to the ground shortly after launch. The missile warhead did not explode and no one was injured, according to the Korean General Staff. But a major fire broke out and caused panic in the city of Gangneung, on the east coast of South Korea.
North Korea steps up modernization of its armaments
North Korea, which is under UN sanctions for its weapons programs, has stepped up their modernization this year. Last week, it fired four short-range ballistic missiles. Pyongyang generally seeks to maximize the geopolitical impact of its trials by choosing the moment that seems most opportune to it.
“North Korea always starts with a low-level provocation and gradually raises the level to attract global media attention.advance to AFP Go Myong-hyun, researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy studies. By launching the missile over Japan, they show that their nuclear threat is not just aimed at South Korea.” The shot that flew over Japan “could theoretically reach the island of Guam in the Pacific. An American island where the navy is extremely present. This shot is therefore a message sent to the United States rather than to Japan”confirms on franceinfo Antoine Bondaz, director of the Korea program at the Foundation for Strategic Research and teacher at Sciences Po.
Over the past four years, the country has developed precision strike capabilities capable of piercing Korean and Japanese missile defenses. It is North Korea’s desire to change the balance of power in the region.
Antoine Bondaz, North Korea specialistat franceinfo
Leader Kim Jong-un is preparing to carry out another nuclear test
South Korean and American officials have been warning for months that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is preparing to conduct another nuclear test. This could take place after the congress of the Chinese Communist Party which begins on October 16, several senior officials from the American command for Asia-Pacific reported this weekend.
“Despite today’s missile launch (…), North Korea’s intention to conduct a nuclear test will remain unchanged”Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, told AFP. ‘Pyongyang is likely to ridicule today’s missile launch – especially since one of the launches failed’he added of the South Korean and US launches on Wednesday.
Pyongyang, which revised its legislation in September to make its status as a nuclear power “irreversible”, has tested atomic bombs six times since 2006. The latest and most powerful test came in 2017, with a power estimated at 250 kilotons. The fact that North Korea has a nuclear weapon is all the more worrying because, unlike other nuclear powers, the Pyongyang regime does not consider this kind of weaponry as a deterrent that will never to be used.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on Pyongyang “to resume the dialogue” in order to achieve “complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula”.