Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are growing further after North Korea claimed success in launching an intermediate-range ballistic missile.


Seoul’s presidential office immediately denounced the North’s latest provocation, calling it a clear violation of the UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit the regime from testing any ballistic missile technology.

The North launched two Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles Wednesday morning, after failing four similar attempts in the two preceding months.

The fifth one, launched from the North’s east coast, exploded in mid-air, but the sixth one, launched a while later from the same spot, is reported to have flown around 400 kilometers.

Modeled after a Russian submarine-launched ballistic missile, the 12-meter long Musudan can carry objects that weigh up to 650 kilograms and fly three-thousand to four-thousand kilometers.

Japanese territory and the U.S. military base in Guam fall within the range of the missile, and the North allegedly plans to use the missile to target U.S. military forces that will be deployed to the Korean Peninsula in case of a contingency.

According to the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made it clear that the regime intends to use the Musudan missiles to attack the U.S. military in Guam.

If a nuclear warhead is mounted on the missiles, the missiles will deal a
critical blow to the U.S. forces and the Seoul-Washington alliance’s combined deterrence capabilities.

The UN Security Council quickly responded to Pyongyang’s new provocations by adopting a press statement strongly condemning the missile launches.

Seoul also began diplomatic procedures to protest against the North’s missile launches via international organizations overseeing aviation or maritime safety.

Chairing a meeting of top commanders at the Defense Ministry on Thursday, Defense Minister Han Min-koo warned that North Korea will end up facing complete isolation and self-destruction, if it continues with such provocations as Wednesday’s missile launches.


As the North’s threat is being further materialized and intensified, Seoul, Washington and Tokyo are expected to boost interoperability of their missile defense systems, including sharing data on the North’s ballistic missiles.

The new missile provocations by Pyongyang are also expected to provide impetus for the deployment of the U.S. antimissile defense system, called the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, on the Korean Peninsula.