A New Missile Test from North Korea
North Korea conducted a test launch of at least one ballistic missile on Sunday, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reportedly detected the launch of at least one missile towards the east and are analyzing the incident.
This test brings the total number of known ballistic missile tests by North Korea since the beginning of the year to six. On April 14, North Korean state media also reported a cruise missile test from a destroyer in the Yellow Sea, in the presence of leader Kim Jong-un.
United Nations sanctions imposed on North Korea for its nuclear weapons program theoretically prohibit the country from testing ballistic missiles that travel mostly through space. However, cruise missiles that stay within the atmosphere are still allowed.
An Insurance Policy against Invasion Intentions
These recent tests come as North Korea ignores the efforts of South Korea’s left-leaning President Lee Jae Myung to improve relations, which deteriorated under his right-wing predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol.
North Korea views its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program as a deterrent against perceived invasion intentions from South Korea and the United States.
On Wednesday, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, expressed concerns about a “very worrying increase” in North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, estimating the country’s arsenal to be in the range of “a few dozen warheads.”
