{"id":4117,"date":"2023-02-19T15:01:37","date_gmt":"2023-02-19T15:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=4117"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:38:00","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:38:00","slug":"north-korea-creates-new-threat-us-bombers-fly-after-icbm-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/analysis\/defense\/north-korea-creates-new-threat-us-bombers-fly-after-icbm-test\/2023\/02\/19\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"North Korea creates new threat, US bombers fly after ICBM test"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEOUL,<\/span> South<\/span> Korea<\/span> (AP)<\/span> —<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> said<\/span> on<\/span> Sunday<\/span> that<\/span> its<\/span> latest<\/span> ICBM<\/span> test<\/span> would<\/span> further<\/span> bolster<\/span> its<\/span> “lethal”<\/span> nuclear<\/span> strike<\/span> capabilities<\/span> and<\/span> signal<\/span> another<\/span> powerful<\/span> move<\/span> in<\/span> upcoming<\/span> military<\/span> exercises<\/span> between<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> and<\/span> South<\/span> Korea.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> US<\/span> responded<\/span> by<\/span> flying<\/span> long-range<\/span> supersonic<\/span> bombers<\/span> late<\/span> Sunday,<\/span> demonstrating<\/span> the<\/span> power<\/span> of<\/span> separate<\/span> joint<\/span> exercises<\/span> with<\/span> South<\/span> Korean<\/span> and<\/span> Japanese<\/span> fighter<\/span> jets.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>North<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> first<\/span> missile<\/span> test<\/span> since<\/span> Jan.<\/span> 1,<\/span> Saturday’s<\/span> ICBM<\/span> test,<\/span> saw<\/span> its<\/span> leader<\/span> Kim<\/span> Jong-un<\/span> use<\/span> a<\/span> rival’s<\/span> training<\/span> as<\/span> an<\/span> opportunity<\/span> to<\/span> expand<\/span> his<\/span> country’s<\/span> nuclear<\/span> arsenal,<\/span> threatening<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States.<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> may<\/span> try<\/span> to<\/span> conduct<\/span> regular<\/span> operational<\/span> exercises<\/span> with<\/span> ICBMs,<\/span> experts<\/span> say.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>North<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> official<\/span> KCNA<\/span> news<\/span> agency<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> launch<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Hwasong-15<\/span> ICBM<\/span> was<\/span> organized<\/span> “suddenly”<\/span> without<\/span> prior<\/span> notice<\/span> under<\/span> the<\/span> direct<\/span> orders<\/span> of<\/span> Kim<\/span> Jong-un.<\/span> KCNA<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> launch<\/span> was<\/span> designed<\/span> to<\/span> confirm<\/span> the<\/span> reliability<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> nuclear<\/span> weapon<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> combat<\/span> readiness<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> country’s<\/span> nuclear<\/span> force.<\/span> Launched<\/span> at<\/span> a<\/span> high<\/span> angle,<\/span> the<\/span> rocket<\/span> reached<\/span> a<\/span> maximum<\/span> altitude<\/span> of<\/span> approximately<\/span> 5,770<\/span> kilometers<\/span> (3,585<\/span> miles),<\/span> covered<\/span> a<\/span> distance<\/span> of<\/span> approximately<\/span> 990<\/span> kilometers<\/span> (615<\/span> miles)<\/span> in<\/span> 67<\/span> minutes,<\/span> and<\/span> then<\/span> fired<\/span> precisely<\/span> the<\/span> preset.<\/span> Korean<\/span> Peninsula<\/span> and<\/span> Japan.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> KCNA<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> Hwasong-15<\/span> launch<\/span> was<\/span> an<\/span> attempt<\/span> to<\/span> transform<\/span> North<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> “strong<\/span> physical<\/span> nuclear<\/span> deterrence”<\/span> and<\/span> “lethal<\/span> nuclear<\/span> counterstrike<\/span> capability<\/span> against<\/span> enemy<\/span> forces”<\/span> into<\/span> something<\/span> much<\/span> more<\/span> irresistible.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Some<\/span> experts<\/span> say<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> has<\/span> not<\/span> found<\/span> a<\/span> way<\/span> to<\/span> protect<\/span> its<\/span> warheads<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> harsh<\/span> conditions<\/span> of<\/span> atmospheric<\/span> re-entry,<\/span> so<\/span> whether<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> has<\/span> a<\/span> practical<\/span> nuclear-warheaded<\/span> ICBM<\/span> remains<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> seen.<\/span> A<\/span> source<\/span> of<\/span> outside<\/span> controversy.North<\/span> Korea<\/span> says<\/span> it<\/span> has<\/span> acquired<\/span> such<\/span> technology.<\/span> Hwasong-15<\/span> is<\/span> one<\/span> of<\/span> North<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> three<\/span> existing<\/span> ICBMs,<\/span> all<\/span> of<\/span> which<\/span> use<\/span> liquid<\/span> propellants,<\/span> must<\/span> be<\/span> injected<\/span> before<\/span> launch,<\/span> and<\/span> cannot<\/span> sustain<\/span> fuel<\/span> for<\/span> long<\/span> periods<\/span> of<\/span> time.<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> is<\/span> pushing<\/span> to<\/span> build<\/span> solid-fuel<\/span> ICBMs<\/span> that<\/span> are<\/span> more<\/span> maneuverable<\/span> and<\/span> harder<\/span> to<\/span> detect<\/span> before<\/span> launch.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Chang<\/span> Young-keun,<\/span> a<\/span> missile<\/span> expert<\/span> at<\/span> South<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> Korea<\/span> Aerospace<\/span> University,<\/span> said<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> appears<\/span> to<\/span> have<\/span> launched<\/span> an<\/span> improved<\/span> version<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Hwasong-15<\/span> ICBM.<\/span> Chan<\/span> said<\/span> information<\/span> provided<\/span> by<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> indicated<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> missile<\/span> would<\/span> likely<\/span> have<\/span> a<\/span> longer<\/span> potential<\/span> range<\/span> than<\/span> the<\/span> standard<\/span> Hwasong-15.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Later<\/span> on<\/span> Sunday,<\/span> US<\/span> B-1B<\/span> bombers<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> aircraft<\/span> conducted<\/span> separate<\/span> exercises<\/span> with<\/span> South<\/span> Korean<\/span> and<\/span> Japanese<\/span> fighters<\/span> over<\/span> and<\/span> near<\/span> the<\/span> Korean<\/span> Peninsula.<\/span> Sunday’s<\/span> drills<\/span> reaffirmed<\/span> Washington’s<\/span> commitment<\/span> to<\/span> “impregnable”<\/span> security<\/span> for<\/span> South<\/span> Korea,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> South<\/span> Korean<\/span> military<\/span> statement.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>North<\/span> Korea<\/span> is<\/span> sensitive<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> US’<\/span> use<\/span> of<\/span> her<\/span> B-1B<\/span> bombers,<\/span> which<\/span> can<\/span> carry<\/span> large<\/span> amounts<\/span> of<\/span> conventional<\/span> weapons.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> North<\/span> Korean<\/span> launch<\/span> came<\/span> a<\/span> day<\/span> after<\/span> Seoul<\/span> and<\/span> Washington<\/span> pledged<\/span> an<\/span> “unprecedented”<\/span> strong<\/span> response<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> series<\/span> of<\/span> military<\/span> exercises<\/span> planned<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> coming<\/span> weeks.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>North<\/span> Korea<\/span> has<\/span> adamantly<\/span> condemned<\/span> the<\/span> normality<\/span> between<\/span> South<\/span> Korea<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States.<\/span> Military<\/span> training<\/span> as<\/span> an<\/span> aggression<\/span> test.<\/span> Allies<\/span> say<\/span> their<\/span> training<\/span> is<\/span> defensive<\/span> in<\/span> nature.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> South<\/span> Korean<\/span> and<\/span> US<\/span> forces<\/span> plan<\/span> to<\/span> hold<\/span> a<\/span> tabletop<\/span> exercise<\/span> this<\/span> week<\/span> to<\/span> improve<\/span> their<\/span> joint<\/span> response<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> possible<\/span> use<\/span> of<\/span> nuclear<\/span> weapons<\/span> by<\/span> North<\/span> Korea.<\/span> The<\/span> allies<\/span> will<\/span> also<\/span> conduct<\/span> another<\/span> joint<\/span> computer<\/span> simulation<\/span> exercise<\/span> and<\/span> field<\/span> training<\/span> in<\/span> March.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Both<\/span> South<\/span> Korea<\/span> and<\/span> Japan<\/span> are<\/span> important<\/span> allies<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States,<\/span> but<\/span> they<\/span> often<\/span> quarrel<\/span> over<\/span> issues<\/span> stemming<\/span> from<\/span> Japan’s<\/span> colonial<\/span> rule<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Korean<\/span> Peninsula<\/span> from<\/span> 1910<\/span> to<\/span> her<\/span> 1945.<\/span> But<\/span> North<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> latest<\/span> missile<\/span> test<\/span> has<\/span> prompted<\/span> the<\/span> two<\/span> countries<\/span> to<\/span> consider<\/span> ways<\/span> to<\/span> strengthen<\/span> security<\/span> cooperation.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said on Sunday that its latest ICBM test would further bolster its “lethal” nuclear strike capabilities and signal another powerful move in upcoming military exercises between the United States and South Korea. The US responded by flying long-range supersonic bombers late Sunday, demonstrating the power of separate joint […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[26,276,2428],"tags":[1138,1139,104,150,546],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/K-1.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4117"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4117"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4119,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4117\/revisions\/4119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}