Just days before the talks between the US and North Korea about to resume, North Korea has tested its latest ballistic missile. This can provocate the US as the talks are based on de-nuclearization.
On October 3rd, North Korea has announced the successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). According to the defence sources of North Korea, President Kim Jong Un did not attend the launch, but he conveyed his message of “warm congratulations” to the defence scientists who conducted the test.
The new SLBM is named as Pukguksong-3. The test fire of Pukguksong-3 was done in a vertical mode in the waters of the eastern city of Wonsan. This is a modification of an earlier version of submarine-launched ballistic missile which was successfully tested in 2015.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has stated that
The successful new-type SLBM test-firing comes to be of great significance as it ushered in a new phase in containing the outside forces’ threat to the DPRK and further bolstering its military muscle for self-defence,
Immediately the US State Department spokeswoman has called on Pyongyang and asked to
refrain from provocations
On the other hand, South Korea has expressed its concern over the testings along with Japan. Both the Countries fear that the latest version of Pukguksong missiles may be the longest-range and the first nuclear-capable missile which uses solid fuel.
South Korea’s military expressed their view as probably a Pukguksong-class weapon which may have a range of 280 miles (450km) at an altitude of 565 miles (910km).
South Korean Defence Minister, Jeong Kyeong-doo stated that Pukguksong missile range may be about 910 miles (1,300 km) on a standard trajectory.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has condemned the launch and said that was a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
However, North Korea has long back declared that it rejects the UN resolutions which has called for a ban on Ballistic Missile Technology usage.
After huge tensions, North Korea and the US agreed for talks with respect to nuclear tests. The US President Donald Trump and the North Korea President Kim Jong Un resumed their dialougues in 2018.
The latest developments may reflect the upcoming meeting of North Korean President meeting with the US President Donald Trump.