Successfully launching a missile from a sub takes North Korea a step closer to a solid-fuel ICBM that can strike the United States.
North Korea warned the world on Friday that its latest missile test was “a powerful blow” to its enemies, calling the weapon a “time bomb” and the “most fearful dagger.”
Wednesday’s missile test of the Pukguksong-3 rocket, the 11th test North Korea has conducted since May, marks a significant escalation in the country’s effort to develop its nuclear arsenal as it brings them one step closer to having a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the U.S.
“The Pukguksong is not just a demonstration of our conventional weapon but a powerful statement to [North] Korean people and a grave statement to violent reactionaries bent on turning the flow of history around,” an editorial in the Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s official newspaper said.
Experts say the new test is “a bold move” and “troubling” as it puts Japan and South Korea in immediate danger. And yet, as the Trump administration becomes ever more engulfed in the impeachment scandal, it has all but ignored the test, and instead, it is pressing ahead with plans to restart denuclearization negotiations this weekend.
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