North Korea fired two suspected short-range ballistic missiles from an
airport in the capital Pyongyang on Monday (1/17/2022), the South Korean
military reported. The launch was North Korea's fourth test this month.
In less than two weeks, North Korea has conducted another three missile
tests. With an unusual frequency of launches, two of the tests involved
high-speed "hypersonic missiles". Meanwhile, the test conducted on Friday
(14/1/2022) involved a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) fired from a
train carriage.
North Korea has not tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or
long-range nuclear weapon since 2017, but after denuclearization talks
stalled in 2019 it began a series of tests of a new SRBM design.
Many of the latest SRBM, one of which is a hypersonic missile. Reportedly
this missile is designed to evade missile defenses. In addition, North Korea
has also pledged to pursue tactical nuclear weapons, which would allow it to
deploy nuclear warheads on such SRBMs.
The latest launch has drawn criticism and calls for dialogue from the US
administration, which has imposed new sanctions on North Korea's missile
launches and is pushing for more.
The administration of US President Joe Biden imposed its first new sanctions
against Pyongyang on Wednesday (12/1/2022), and asked the UN Security
Council to blacklist several North Korean individuals and entities.
Biden also repeated calls for Pyongyang to return to talks aimed at reducing
tensions and persuading it to give up its arsenal of nuclear weapons and
ballistic missiles.
North Korea has defended missile tests as its sovereign right of
self-defense and accused the United States of deliberately escalating the
situation with new sanctions.
In a statement ahead of Friday's missile test, North Korea's foreign
ministry said that while Washington may be talking about diplomacy and
dialogue, its actions showed it was still engrossed in its policy of
"isolate and strangle" North Korea.
The launch comes as North Korea is in increasingly isolated conditions due
to border closures imposed by itself to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic,
preparing to open up trade across the border with China.
