"Displaying Majestic Power to the World"... North Korea Establishes Missile Industry Day on the 18th

Successful ICBM Launch Last Year... "Domestic and International Display"
Also Seen as Justification for Military Provocations Like Reconnaissance Satellites

North Korea designated November 18 as 'Missile Industry Day.' This is to commemorate the successful launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) conducted on the same day last year.

According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 5th, the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea held an executive meeting and unanimously adopted the agenda regarding the establishment of Missile Industry Day.

The Hwasong-17 is a nuclear strategic weapon that North Korea conducted its final test launch of on November 18 last year. At that time, the ICBM launched from the Sunan area of Pyongyang toward the East Sea flew approximately 1,000 km, reached an altitude of about 6,100 km, and was detected traveling at a speed of about Mach 22 (22 times the speed of sound).

North Korea also prominently showcased the Hwasong-17 during the military parade held at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang in July, marking the 70th anniversary of Victory Day (the anniversary of the Korean War armistice agreement).

The Korean Central News Agency, reporting on the establishment of Missile Industry Day, explained, “November 18, 2022, is the day when the world witnessed the might of a global nuclear power and the strongest holder of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and a historic event was achieved on the sacred journey of our style of national defense development.”

North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-17 test-fired on November 18, 2022 [Image source=Yonhap News]

It further emphasized, “The establishment of Missile Industry Day is a manifestation of the unwavering will of the Workers' Party of Korea, the government of the Republic, and the entire people of the country to strengthen our nation's immense and powerful national strength.”

Experts interpret North Korea’s establishment of Missile Industry Day as an intention to showcase domestically and internationally that it possesses nuclear and missile technology. The purpose is to imprint and remind others of its achievement of becoming a country capable of striking the U.S. mainland with nuclear weapons.

There are also predictions that North Korea will use the commemoration of Missile Industry Day as a pretext to carry out military provocations such as launching reconnaissance satellites. North Korea failed twice in reconnaissance satellite launches in May and August. Although it announced a reconnaissance satellite launch in October, it has not yet executed it, but authorities analyze that preparations for a third reconnaissance satellite launch are in the final stages.

However, the prevailing analysis is that North Korea’s reconnaissance satellite launch will be delayed more than expected. It is likely to maintain a quiet stance for the time being while continuing technical improvements to ensure a successful relaunch.

On the 3rd, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said at a press briefing, “There is a possibility that (the reconnaissance satellite launch) could happen around the end of November,” but added, “We need to observe the situation further.”

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