SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea said Monday that leader Kim Jong Un had promised to develop more powerful means of attack, days after the country launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile more than four years ago. The statement suggests North Korea could make additional launches or even test a nuclear device soon, as it pushes to modernize its arsenal and increase pressure on the Biden government, while nuclear diplomacy remains at a standstill. Last Thursday, the North conducted the 12th round of weapons tests this year, launching the newly developed, long-range Hwasong-17, which analysts say was designed to reach anywhere on the mainland. NEW US SAYS NORTH KOREA AFTER FIRE TEST During a photo shoot with scientists and others involved in the Hwasong-17 test, Kim expressed his determination to develop the country’s offensive capability to respond to threats, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. This photo, released by the North Korean government, shows what a test shot of an intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-17 (ICBM) says at an undisclosed location in North Korea on March 24, 2022. (Korea’s Central News Agency / Korea Service AP, Archive) “Only when one is equipped with the formidable strike capabilities, the overwhelming military force that one can not stop, can one prevent a war, guarantee the security of the country and reduce and put under control all threats and blackmail from the imperialists, “Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA. NORTH KOREA: Kim Jong Un starred in a video inspired by Almighty Firefighter to showcase the latest rockets Kim said North Korea would develop more “powerful strikes” and also expressed confidence and expectation that his country would “perfect the country’s nuclear deterrent more vigorously,” the KCNA reported. In this photo distributed by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in the center, walks around what he says is an intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-17 (ICBM) at the launcher, at an unknown location in North Korea. March 24, 2022. (Korea Central News Agency / Korean News Agency via AP, Archive) North Korea said the Hwasong-17 flew at a maximum altitude of 6,248 kilometers (3,880 miles) and traveled 1,090 kilometers (680 miles) during a 67-minute flight before landing in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. External experts said that if the rocket was launched into a standard orbit, flatter than the steep test angle, it could fly up to 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles), enough to reach anywhere on the mainland and beyond. NORTH KOREA CONSIDERS LONG-TERM FIRE TO THE SEA It is believed to be about 25 meters (82 feet) long, the Hwasong-17 is the weapon with the longest range in the north and, by some estimates, the largest ballistic missile system in the world. Its size suggests that the missile is intended to carry multiple nuclear warheads, as the North already has an ICBM with a warhead that could also hit most of the United States. US-led diplomacy to persuade North Korea to denuclearize in exchange for economic and political benefits has largely stalled since 2019. The Biden government urged North Korea to return to talks without preconditions, but Poyang refused. Washington must first abandon its hostility and take steps to expand its arsenal. People look at a copy of the North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun showing the report of a test launch of a rocket at Jongung Metro Station in Pyongyang, Pyongyang, North Korea, on March 25, 2022. (AP Photo / Cha Song Ho, Archive) Some experts say Kim could soon launch another ICBM launch, a satellite-carrying rocket launch or a nuclear test as he works to refine his weapons technology, put pressure on the United States and secure stronger domestic rights. . CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION On Monday, South Korea reiterated an earlier assessment that there were indications that North Korea was rebuilding previously demolished tunnels in its underground nuclear test site. Lee Jong-joo, a spokesman for the Seoul Ministry of Unification, said a nuclear test by North Korea would pose a “serious threat” to international security and that the North should immediately suspend all operations and return to talks. The Hwasong-17 launch was the most serious weapons launch in the North since it tested a previously developed ICBM in November 2017. The last nuclear test, the sixth in all, was in September 2017.
