These new shots occur a few days after the announcement by Pyongyang of a successful solid fuel engine test with a strong thrust, with the objective of developing a new weapon.
MO12345LEMONDE with AFP
North Korea launched two “unidentified ballistic missiles on Sunday, December 18, reported the South Korean army. The shots were made “towards [the] Eastern Sea”, also called Japanese Sea, said the joint staff in Seoul.
Despite the heavy international sanctions that weigh on its arms programs, Pyongyang has built an arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).
All its ICBMs are however with liquid fuel. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has given strategic priority to the development of solid fuel engines to make more advanced missiles, like the successful test announced on Friday.
nuclear state
Kim Jong-Un said in 2022 that he wanted North Korea to hold the most powerful nuclear force in the world, and “irreversible” declared the nuclear status of his country.
Among its objectives unveiled in 2021 is the development of solid fuel ICBM which could be launched from dry land or from submarines.
The engine test announced on Friday is a step towards achieving this goal. Experts ignore at what stage of development is North Korea about such missiles.
The United States and South Korea have warned for months that North Korea could be preparing what would be the seventh nuclear test in its history and the first in five years.