"Nuclear for Nuclear"... North Korea's Grand Propaganda on Successful Launch of 'Hwasong-17' ICBM

Editorial in Rodong Sinmun on the 20th

North Korean announcer Ri Chun-hee reporting the test launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on the 18th. (Image source=Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] North Korea celebrated the success of the test launch of the 'Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)' conducted on the 18th, boasting that they possess the planet's most powerful ICBM.

On the 20th, the Workers' Party organ Rodong Sinmun, in an editorial titled "Solemn Declaration of the Workers' Party of Korea," claimed that this ICBM launch was "a historic feat demonstrating the iron conviction of the Workers' Party of Korea that unless the U.S.'s hostile policy and nuclear threats against Korea are fundamentally eliminated, we will not retreat an inch from the path of strengthening our nuclear forces under any circumstances, and the more the hostile forces' rampage and offensives intensify, the more the qualitative and quantitative strengthening of our self-defensive nuclear forces will accelerate."

The newspaper emphasized, "The country possessing the planet's most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile?this phrase carries truly immense weight," adding, "It is a thrilling title that clearly proves to the world that the right to nuclear preemptive strike is not monopolized by the U.S., and that our nation is a genuine nuclear power with substantial strength to counter the U.S.'s nuclear hegemony."

It also conveyed the intention to use nuclear weapons not only for 'war prevention' but to carry out preemptive strikes if necessary. In particular, the newspaper declared, "For the bright smiles and beautiful dreams of our future generations, we will continue to strengthen our nuclear weapons, the powerful swords that protect peace, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and we will devote our boundless patriotic hearts to that path," raising its voice with the slogan, "Nuclear for nuclear, direct confrontation for direct confrontation."

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