Seoul says North Korea’s intercontinental missile launch appears to have failed

The South Korean military announced on Thursday that North Korea apparently failed to launch an intercontinental missile (ICBM) after a record series of shells were fired by the communist country in the past 24 hours.

The fire prompted South Korea and the United States to extend the largest joint air exercises ever held by the two countries that Pyongyang sees as a threat this week.

Residents of a South Korean island and areas of northern Japan received warnings to seek asylum after Thursday’s launches, which included two short-range missiles.

But the most important launch seems to have failed. “An ICBM launch by North Korea is allegedly unsuccessful,” the South Korean military said.

Despite the failure, US State Department spokesman Ned Price condemned the launch of the North Korean ICBM and urged all countries to tighten sanctions against Pyongyang, claiming that the regime violated US Security Council resolutions.

South Korea’s Chiefs of Staff said they detected the launch of the long-range ballistic missile ICBM, followed by two short-range missiles, on Thursday morning.

The South Korean army stated that “The capability of the long-range ballistic missile was about 760 km, an altitude of 1,920 km and a speed of Mach 15”, that is, equal to 15 times the speed of sound.

Seoul added that “short-range missiles traveled approximately 330 km at a speed of Mach 5, at an altitude of approximately 70 km.”

The attack came a day after the communist country led by Kim Jong Un launched more than 20 shells, including one that landed in South Korean territorial waters.

South Korean media claimed that air raid sirens were triggered again on the island of Ulleungdo (east). Residents received a warning Wednesday to seek asylum after a missile crossed the maritime border between Koreas.

The Japanese government also issued a warning just before 8:00 am local time (8:00 GMT on Wednesday) for those living in the northern regions of the country who must seek asylum.

Tokyo initially claimed that a missile flew over Japanese territory, but Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada later claimed that the missile did not pass through the country, but was “lost in the Sea of ​​Japan” between the archipelago and the Korean peninsula.

Nuclear test suspects

“Since the firings are accompanied by evacuation warnings, this strongly suggests launching a medium-range missile or a full-range intercontinental missile,” said Chad O’Carroll of NK News in Seoul.

“If you successfully reach a significant distance, the latter can be very worrying for some,” he added.

The United States and South Korea have warned for several months that Pyongyang’s final series of firing could result in the seventh nuclear test in the country’s history.

O’Carroll said the launch sequence “shows that there is a good possibility that the next test will be about tactical nuclear weapons. Probably very soon.”

“These are pre-celebratory events before North Korea’s next nuclear test,” said analyst Ahn Chan-il.

“It also looks like a series of practical tests for tactical nuclear deployment,” he added.

On October 4, North Korea fired a missile flying over Japan, warning residents to flee their homes.

The Pyongyang regime said it was testing “a new type of medium-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile” and that, among other tests, these were “tactical nuclear exercises” simulating an attack on South Korea.

‘Storm Careful’

The series of launches coincide with military maneuvers dubbed “Storm Watch” by the US and South Korea, in which hundreds of aircraft have been deployed by both sides.

North Korea described the exercise as “aggressive and provocative”.

On Wednesday, one of the 20 shells fired crossed the northern demarcation line, the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said the launch constituted a “de facto territorial invasion” and his army responded with three air-to-surface missiles that landed near this border.

Kim Jong Un ramped up military testing this year and recently changed the law to declare the atomic arsenal “irreversible”, thus eliminating the possibility of denuclearization negotiations.