North Korea Testing New Missiles

On Thursday March 25, North Korea tested a tactical guided missile. It is a newly developed missile and the test launch happened to be against international sanctions. This has been North Korea’s first missile test in a year.

This had also been the first provocation to the Biden administration. The president has sent warnings to North Korea saying that there will be “responses” if they continue to increase tensions on the Korean peninsula.

On Saturday following the launch, the North Korea official, Ri Pyong-chol, replied to the United States that they should not be making these remarks without having in mind the potentially negative consequences.

In the past the U.S. has tried to get North Korea to disband its nuclear weapons program through two different ways, one being through sanctions, and the other being through discussions. But sadly, it has never worked.

Instead, North Korea has only worked to expand the program. One way that they have done that is by modernizing missiles under the nation’s young leader, Kim Jong-un. This expansion has been an increasing threat to both the U.S. and its allied nations, and there is much within the growing program.

One of the first things that is within the program is that it has nuclear warheads and much more. Also, throughout 2006 and 2017, they have done six underground nuclear tests, with the last four having happened under Kim’s rule. Each test has become more sophisticated as time has gone by.

The most powerful of these tests was the very last one that had happened in 2017. North Korea had claimed that they had detonated a hydrogen bomb. The explosive power range is estimated to be from 50 to 300 kilotons. With 100 kilotons, the test would be six times as or more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.

As of Jan. of 2020 the nuclear warheads measure to be around 30 to 40, and according to the estimates that six or seven bombs could be produced a year. But while everyone is focused on this information, many are forgetting that the North has stockpiled thousands of chemical and biological weapons.

Also within the program, they designed the missiles so that they can fly longer ranges. 2017 seems to have been a big year for the program as it made big strides with its weapons capabilities.

They had launched three different missiles, Hwasong-12, 14, and 15, all around the American territory of Guam. Mr. Kim had claimed that they could and had the ability to launch a nuclear strike against the U.S., by the end of the year.

After 2017, Mr. Kim stopped all weapons testing and threatened to end his hiatus of testing nuclear weapons after the fall out with previous president Donald Trump. Mr. Kim did keep to his word to not test his nuclear weapons, but as of last Oct. he displayed a new and untested I.C.B.M – during a military parade – that appeared to be bigger than previous ones. Also in Jan. he stated that he was building his nuclear arms and gave a laundry list of new weapons that he is planning to develop.