Another Ballistic Missile in 17 Days... What Is North Korea's Intention?

North Korea launched a ballistic missile to mark the 11th anniversary of Kim Jong-un's appointment as General Secretary of the Workers' Party and Chairman of the National Defense Commission. This is the ninth ballistic missile launch this year and the first in 17 days. The launch, occurring just two days before the Day of the Sun (Kim Il-sung's birthday), North Korea's largest political event, raises concerns about further provocations. Analysts also suggest that the missile launch is influenced by the recent close alliance among North Korea, China, and Russia in response to the South Korea-U.S.-Japan alliance.

On the 13th, former National Intelligence Service Director Park was asked about the purpose of the ballistic missile launch on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show.' He responded, "Kim Jong-un (General Secretary of the Workers' Party) wants to deliver a blow to the U.S., Japan, and South Korea."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea launched the ballistic missile into the East Sea that morning. Japan initially issued an evacuation alert for the Hokkaido region, anticipating the missile would fall near Hokkaido, but later corrected the alert. The Presidential Office's National Security Office convened an emergency National Security Council (NSC) standing committee meeting. The missile reportedly flew 1,000 km after a high-angle launch, and military authorities are analyzing detailed specifications.

Former Director Park cited the South Korea-U.S.-Japan versus North Korea-China-Russia dynamic as the background for the missile launch. He said, "While the Russia-Ukraine war continues, China is also preparing for war with Taiwan. North Korea is launching missiles in coordination with these events. I predicted that even if the missile does not fall within our territorial waters, it will definitely land in Japanese territorial waters."

He also criticized the South Korean government's diplomatic policy. Former Director Park stated, "President Yoon's excessive pro-U.S. and Japan diplomacy is causing economic trade losses with China but is also acting as a catalyst for strengthening the solid alliance among North Korea, China, and Russia." He argued that instead of diplomacy biased toward the U.S. and Japan, efforts should be made to improve inter-Korean relations and North Korea-U.S. relations.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the other hand, there are calls to strengthen the South Korea-U.S.-Japan alliance to counter North Korea-China-Russia. Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo said, "Now is the time to strengthen the South Korea-U.S.-Japan free alliance to counter the North Korea-China-Russia socialist alliance," adding, "The moment the balance of power is disrupted, the Korean Peninsula will be engulfed in disaster. From this perspective, it is right to address South Korea-Japan and South Korea-U.S. relations accordingly."

The reason North Korea's ballistic missile launch feels more threatening to us is due to its recent silence. Since the 7th, North Korea has completely ignored communications with South Korea. While some view this as not particularly significant, given previous communication line disruptions in 2020 and 2021, the intensifying provocations amid the tense standoff between the U.S. and China in the Taiwan Strait and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war are likely to heighten geopolitical tensions in Northeast Asia. Especially, recent North Korean propaganda media released photos showing Kim Jong-un pointing at the Pyeongtaek U.S. military base, raising concerns about nuclear threats targeting the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

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