North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has issued a stern warning to the United States, following the recent test of the country’s most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-18. Kim Jong Un stated that North Korea would not hesitate to launch a nuclear attack if provoked by nuclear weapons, emphasizing the nation’s readiness for an “overwhelming counteraction.”
This latest development comes after North Korea confirmed the successful test of the Hwasong-18 ICBM, designed to target the mainland United States. The test was reportedly conducted as a response to mounting hostility from the US and was witnessed by Kim Jong Un and his daughter. According to state media, the missile reached an altitude of over 6,000 kilometers, flying a distance of about 1,000 kilometers, indicating its potential to strike anywhere in the United States. Both South Korea and Japan confirmed these figures, acknowledging the missile’s capability to reach US territory.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, along with his daughter, inspects an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in this undated photo released on November 19, 2022 by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS
Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, also weighed in on the situation, condemning the United Nations Security Council for holding a meeting about the ICBM launch, which she asserted was a rightful exercise of North Korea’s self-defense. She criticized the US and South Korea (ROK) for their military provocations and held them responsible for escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula.
This photo provided on Nov. 19, 2022, by the North Korean government shows the test-firing of a missile at Pyongyang International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. North Korea’s state media said its leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of the Hwasong-17 missile, a day after its neighbors said they had detected the launch of an ICBM potentially capable of reaching the continental U.S. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government.
The test, which followed the arrival of a US nuclear-powered submarine in South Korean waters, and warnings of a strong response to joint US-South Korean military drills, marks another peak in the ongoing tensions in the region. North Korea has conducted a record number of tests of banned weapons this year, signaling an escalation in its nuclear and missile capabilities. These actions have been widely condemned by the international community as violations of UN Security Council resolutions.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol commented on the situation, warning that Pyongyang’s provocative actions would only result in more hardship for the regime. The global community remains concerned about the implications of North Korea’s advancing nuclear capabilities and the potential for escalating military conflicts in the region.
