SEOUL, South Korea—North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time in almost a year Thursday, demonstrating a potential advancement in its ability to launch long-range nuclear attacks on the mainland US.
This undated photo provided on Dec. 19, 2023 by the North Korean government shows what it says is an intercontinental ballistic missile being prepared to launch from an undisclosed location in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified.
North Korea has steadfastly argued that advancing its nuclear capabilities is its only option to cope with the expansion of US-South Korean military training, though Washington and Seoul have repeatedly said they have no intention of attacking North Korea. Experts say North Korea uses its rivals’ drills as a pretext to enlarge its nuclear arsenal to wrest concessions when diplomacy resumes.
Having a missile fly higher and for a longer duration than before means its engine thrust has improved. Given that previous ICBM tests by North Korea have already proved they can theoretically reach the US mainland, the latest launch was likely related to an effort to examine whether a missile can carry a bigger warhead, experts say.
Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute, said the early results of Thursday’s launch suggested Russia might have given a key propellant component that can boost a missile’s engine thrust. He said that a higher thrust allows a missile to carry a bigger payload, fly with more stability and hit a target more accurately.
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