On November 29, North Korea launched its brand new missile, Hwasong-15, which was classified as an intercontinental ballistic missile. North Korean officials have been warning the US that their missiles could hit US mainland.
This new missile reached an altitude of 2800 miles and has many United States scientists declaring that North Korea will be on the verge of being able to hit the US. Shockingly, this was the first test done by North Korea since September 15. After the launch, President Trump tweeted out, “Major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea” immediately after the missile test.
After the missile test, South Korea responded to the dramatic show of power from the north by conducting its own precision missile strike drill. Rodger Baker, a high profile analyst of Asian tensions, wrote about the South Korea’s actions after the missile test. Baker said, “Seoul wanted to ‘show they are an independent actor and can strike back at North Korea without the US.’” Responding to South Korea’s military action, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang also said Beijing has expressed “serious concern and opposition” over North Korea’s missile launch.
Adding on to their total count of missile tests, North Korea has now fired 23 missiles during 16 tests since February. This sudden demand by Kim Jong-Un for a nuclear missile was reportedly for a “defensive mechanism”. North Korean officials stated that the recent increase of US military action in South Korea forced the North to start building its own nuclear defenses.
In recent attempts to warn North Korea, President Trump ordered the US Air Force to fly over the Korean Peninsula. In response to Trump’s order, the US Air Force sent in two B1-Bombers to encourage North Korea to stop with their missile program. However, during this display, one of the bombers was forced to stay back at base after they discovered a mechanical fault with the bomber.
Directly after the Air Force mission was concluded, North Korea responded to the event with severe anger. A spokesman for North Korea’s foreign ministry said the drills and “confrontational warmongering” created by the US will lead to a war. Tensions are now at an all time high between North Korea and the rest of the world.
After all that has happened in the Korean Peninsula, only time will tell if diplomatic relations can be improved between the United States and North Korea.