It was initially an “unidentified projectile”, according to the South Korean army. South Korean President Moon Jae-in finally announced on Thursday that North Korea has fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the first launch of such a powerful weapon since 2017. The information has been confirmed by the Japanese Ministry of Defence. “Our analyzes indicate that a ballistic missile flew for 71 minutes and fell around 3:44 p.m. (0644 GMT) about 150 km from the Oshima peninsula, (northern island of Hokkaido),” said the Secretary of State. to the Defense, Makoto Oniki. The projectile therefore fell within the maritime exclusive economic zone of Japan. Tokyo also evoked an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Japan’s Defense Ministry has not received any reports of damage to ships or aircraft, but called the launch a “serious threat” to Japan’s security. “As the world faces Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea continues its firing which unilaterally escalates provocations against the international community, which is absolutely unforgivable,” Makoto Oniki said. The Prime Minister of the Archipelago, Fumio Kishida, denounced him “a scandalous and unforgivable act”.
Seoul’s response
For South Korea, it is a “violation of the suspension of intercontinental ballistic missile launches promised by President Kim Jong Un to the international community”, Moon Jae-in said in a statement, adding that it was also a violation of the UN sanctions regime.
In response to this North Korean fire, the South Korean army announced in the morning that it had fired several missiles “from the ground, the sea and the air” in the Sea of Japan.
A record number of weapons tests in the first quarter
The firing comes as Pyongyang adheres to a self-imposed moratorium on testing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and nuclear weapons since leader Kim Jong-un embarked on a series of high-profile diplomatic meetings with then-US President Donald Trump in 2018. The talks broke down, and current US President Joe Biden’s efforts to open new negotiations have failed to break diplomacy’s deadlock.
Pyongyang began hinting in January that it might break the moratorium and conducted a record number of weapons tests in the first quarter, firing hypersonic missiles and medium-range ballistic missiles, both banned. According to the South Korean military, North Korea fired a ballistic missile last week, but the test ended in total failure. Analysts have speculated that the misfire was a Hwasong-17, nicknamed the “monster missile”, an ICBM that has never been launched. The North appears to have fired multiple rocket launchers on Sunday.