Presidential Office: "North Korea Preparing for 7th Nuclear Test... Detected Detonation Device Experiment" (Comprehensive)

"Among 3 missiles, the first is Hwasong-17... the rest are SRBMs"
Implying intention to upgrade SRBM nuclear delivery capability

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The Presidential Office announced on the 25th that among the three ballistic missiles launched by North Korea, the first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is judged to be the Hwasong-17, and the second and third missiles launched are short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) with an implied intention of improving nuclear delivery capabilities.

Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office at the Presidential Office, stated during a briefing held at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon, "From 6:00 to 6:42, two types of ballistic missiles were launched three times from Pyongyang Sunan Airport. Just before the second launch, it was decided to hold a National Security Council (NSC) meeting," he said.

He added, "For several years now, North Korea has been developing missiles equipped with automatic navigation systems even for SRBMs, capable of adjusting their trajectory toward targets or performing maneuvers to evade our various defense systems. Whether or not to equip these with nuclear warheads is North Korea's choice, but their desire to show this indicates they are targeting South Korea. I believe all these missiles were developed with nuclear capabilities in mind," he emphasized.

Regarding North Korea's mixed missile launches, he analyzed, "The ICBM and SRBM mixed launches are two sides of the same coin. Whether it is the same nuclear warhead aimed at the United States and its allies or whether it is launched at a high angle for a short or medium range, it can be seen as a simultaneous threat to the ROK-US alliance."

He continued, "North Korea's nuclear program capabilities are continuously evolving. The nuclear program does not simply rise vertically and evolve; it is reinforced, inspected, and combined to fit new weapons system environments. That is why UN Security Council economic sanctions are important. It is our task not only to watch passively but also to suppress or delay necessary developments," he stressed.

Deputy Director Kim also noted that they are closely monitoring North Korea's nuclear test trends, reporting that an experiment involving the operation of a nuclear detonator device for the 7th nuclear test at Punggye-ri has been detected. He explained, "The possibility of a nuclear test occurring within a day or two at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site is low, but after that point, the possibility is quite high."

Regarding the purpose of North Korea's recent missile launches, he speculated, "While it is partly an improvement process of existing nuclear missile capabilities, it also seems to be an attempt to intervene in the imminent domestic political schedule of the Republic of Korea. It may include a political intention to test the security posture of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration." He added, "The fact that the provocation occurred around the time when U.S. President Biden, returning from visits to South Korea and Japan, was entering the airspace of his own mainland is also judged to be a strategic message sent jointly to South Korea and the United States."

Deputy Director Kim mentioned that two military and two diplomatic responses were taken in response to North Korea's missile launches. Militarily, "This morning, near Gangneung over the East Sea, the South Korean military launched Hyunmoo-II surface-to-surface missiles, and the U.S. military launched one ATACMS surface-to-surface missile each," he said. "Then, we released footage of the F-15 fighter jets' elephant walk, sending a message that about 30 powerful combat aircraft with strong air combat capabilities can take off and defend the airspace at any time. These two actions also signify the ROK-US joint response," he explained.

Diplomatically, "Foreign Minister Park Jin first spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Kim Sung-han, Director of the National Security Office, spoke with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan," he said. "The common point of these conversations was immediate cooperation against North Korea's threatening actions and reaffirming the U.S.'s deterrence capability on the Korean Peninsula. They also confirmed that the recent ROK-US summit went well as expected and that follow-up measures will be taken," he added.

He emphasized the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's three principles regarding North Korea's military actions: first, to accurately identify whether the launched projectile is a missile, multiple rocket launcher, ballistic missile, or ICBM; second, to demonstrate that any military action will be met with corresponding follow-up measures; and third, to implement these actions through ROK-US military cooperation and closely coordinate with the international community, including the United Nations, to manage future situations.

In particular, considering that North Korea's provocation occurred after Chinese and Russian military aircraft intruded into South Korea's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) the previous day, Deputy Director Kim observed that the trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan and the counter-response by North Korea, China, and Russia appear to be aligned in intent.

He said, "We do not know whether the three countries coordinated in advance regarding North Korea's missile launch early this morning and the joint training of eight Chinese and Russian military aircraft yesterday, but the intent seems similar. China and Russia conducted exercises in July 2019, October 2020, and December last year. The timing has been moved forward this year, and I suspect that China and Russia planned this on May 24 to send political, diplomatic, and military messages to the international community around the time of the upcoming conclusion of the ROK-US summit, QUAD summit, and Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and other diplomatic schedules," he said.

Deputy Director Kim also reported that various task forces (TFs) have been established within the Presidential Office to strengthen the national security system. These include the Extended Deterrence TF led by the Defense Secretary, the Cybersecurity TF overseen by the Cybersecurity Secretary, the ROK-US Economic Security TF led by the Economic Security Secretary, the Nuclear Cooperation TF under the Industrial Policy Secretary, and the Indo-Pacific TF managed by the Security Strategy Secretary.

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