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A North Korean missile launch on Wednesday ended in failure, South Korean officials said – but the setback doesn’t mean the North is done flexing its military muscle.
The Wednesday missile launched from the Pyongyang region at about 9:30 a.m. was the 10th of the year so far, and there’s international speculation that the North is gearing up to fire off its biggest long-range missile.
The Hwasong-17 is believed to be able to fly more than 9,300 miles – far enough that it could hit anywhere in the mainland US if fired from the North. The 82-foot weapon hasn’t been tested yet.
Under dictator Kim Jong Un, the North is trying to establish itself as a nuclear power with a modernized arsenal that could make it a global threat.
Nuclear talks between the country and US largely stalled in 2019 over sanctions against the North, and Kim’s ramping up of the country’s weaponry and spy technology is viewed as a move to force concessions from rivals including the US.
It wasn’t clear what went wrong on Wednesday’s launch in a statement by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The North tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles in recent launches in February and March, but they were only fired medium-range, the Associated Press reported, citing experts. There is speculation the North is on the verge of launching one of the intercontinental missiles in a full-range test.
Kim is also pushing for the country to put its first spy satellite into orbit.
The Biden administration has said it’s open to a meeting with Kim, but the North has ignored the US’s outreach efforts.
It’s not clear why Kim hasn’t responded to the outreach.
With Post wires
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