Ministry of National Defense "Concerns Over North Korea's New ICBM Reveal... Urges Response for Tension Reduction"

"Repeated Calls for Joint Investigation of West Sea Official Shooting Incident and Reactivation of Military Communication Line"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] On the 11th, the military authorities expressed concern over the new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and other weapons revealed at the 75th anniversary military parade of the Workers' Party of Korea, urging North Korea to respond with substantial military tension reduction.

In a statement on the same day, the Ministry of National Defense said, "We express concern over North Korea's unveiling of weapons presumed to be new long-range ballistic missiles, and the South Korea-US intelligence authorities are conducting a detailed analysis of the newly revealed North Korean weapons systems."

However, it added, "We pay attention to North Korea's stance of not using military force preemptively," and "We demand a response to the complete implementation of the September 19 Military Agreement and other substantial military tension reduction measures."

The Ministry of National Defense also stated, "The military will maintain a full readiness posture capable of immediate response to any threats from North Korea, while strongly supporting the government's diplomatic efforts for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace."

Furthermore, it emphasized, "Regarding the death of our citizens in the West Sea, we demand a prompt joint investigation to clarify the facts together," and "once again urge the restoration and reactivation of military communication lines" for this purpose.

North Korea unveiled new ICBMs and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) at the military parade held at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang the previous day, which appear to embody North Korea's latest missile technology. In particular, the ICBMs are analyzed to have increased length and diameter, suggesting the capability to strike the entire US mainland.

However, before unveiling the new weapons, North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un moderated the tone of his external message in a speech, stating, "Our war deterrence will never be abused or used preemptively...," and "We make it clear that we are not developing our war deterrence targeting anyone."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.