Seoul
\nNorth Korea on Monday confirmed it had launched a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile, the same weapon it once threatened to target the US territory of Guam with \u201cenveloping fire,\u201d sparking fears the nuclear-armed state could resume long-range testing.
\nThe launch of the intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) was first reported by South Korean and Japanese authorities on Sunday. It was the seventh test conducted by North Korea this month and the first time a nuclear-capable missile of that size has been launched since 2017.
\nThe United States is concerned North Korea\u2019s escalating missile tests could be precursors to resumed tests of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and vowed an unspecified response \u201cdesigned to show our commitment to our allies,\u201d a senior US official told reporters in Washington.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s not just what they did yesterday, it\u2019s the fact that this is coming on the heels of quite a significant number of tests in this month,\u201d the official said, while urging Pyongyang to join direct talks with no preconditions.
\nAmid a flurry of diplomacy in 2018, including summits with then-US President Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared his nuclear force complete and said he would suspend nuclear testing and launches of the country\u2019s longest-range missiles.
\nAfter talks stalled in 2019, Kim said he was no longer bound by that moratorium, and North Korea suggested this month it could restart those testing activities because the United States and its allies had shown no sign of dropping their \u201chostile policies.\u201d
\nIt is unclear if IRBMs such as the Hwasong-12 were included in Kim\u2019s moratorium, but none had been tested since 2017.
\nSouth Korean President Moon Jae-in said the recent flurry of North Korean missile tests was reminiscent of heightened tensions in 2017, when North Korea conducted multiple nuclear tests, launched its largest missiles, and drew threats of \u201cfire and fury\u201d from the United States.
\nSunday\u2019s test \u201cconfirmed the accuracy, safety, and operational effectiveness of the produced Hwasong-12 type weapon system,\u201d North Korean state news agency KCNA reported.
\nState media coverage of the launch made no mention of the United States, and Kim was not reported to have attended. North Korean officials said this month the tests are for self defence and not targeted at any specific country.
\nKim vowed ahead of the New Year to bolster North Korea\u2019s military capabilities in the face of international uncertainties caused by \u201chostile policies\u201d by the United States and its allies.
\nNorth Korea has previously said the Hwasong-12 can carry a \u201clarge-size heavy nuclear warhead,\u201d and analysts estimate it has a range of 4,500 km (2,800 miles).
\nIn August 2017, just hours after Trump told the North that any threat to the United States would be met with \u201cfire and fury\u201d, the commander of the North\u2019s Strategic Forces said it was \u201cseriously considering a plan of enveloping fire\u201d involving a simultaneous launch of four Hwasong-12 missiles toward Guam.
\nThat year North Korea flight-tested the Hwasong-12 at least six times, including flying it over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido twice.
\nKCNA said Sunday\u2019s missile launch was conducted in such a way as to ensure the safety of neighbouring countries, and that the test warhead was fitted with a camera that took photos while it was in space.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Seoul North Korea on Monday confirmed it had launched a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile, the same weapon it once threatened to target the US territory of Guam with \u201cenveloping fire,\u201d sparking fears the nuclear-armed state could resume long-range testing. The launch of the intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) was first reported by South Korean and Japanese authorities […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-241912","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n