"North Korea May Conduct Normal Angle Launch Test of ICBM-Class Missile"

Space Launch Vehicles and ICBMs Share the Same Technology
"Early Warning Messages Should Also Include Actual Evacuation Instructions"

Yang Wook, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said on the morning of the 31st that North Korea's launch of a space launch vehicle is "a test of a normal-angle launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)-class missile."

Yang appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Taehyun's Political Show' that day and explained, "Space launch technology and ICBM technology are virtually interconnected," adding, "The Soviet R-7, the world's first ICBM, was actually a Soyuz rocket repurposed as an ICBM, which had launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik."

He continued, "In particular, North Korea has launched ICBMs several times, but until now, they had to limit the range to avoid crossing over Japan, so they could only launch at high angles. However, by taking the form of a space launch like this, it becomes closer to a normal-angle launch."

On the 31st, citizens in the waiting room of Seoul Station, Jung-gu, Seoul, were watching news related to North Korea's launch of a space projectile in the southern direction. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

Regarding the false alarm of a warning in the Seoul area that morning, Yang said, "It was good to issue the warning first." He added, "Although it cannot be said that it precisely passed through our airspace and territorial waters, the launch direction overlaps similarly. It is true that caution is necessary."

However, he added, "But instead of blindly alerting people to evacuate, the warning should have specifically explained the nature of the threat, such as 'a launch occurred' and 'the direction passed here,' along with the actual actions to be taken. Sending a warning text to evacuate blindly was wrong."

Yang said that North Korea's provocations will continue in the future and stated, "We need to thoroughly understand the reality of North Korea's actions and prepare militarily to ensure they pay an appropriate price."

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