Image Source – North Korea President – By Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89442959
Image Source – South Korea President – By 대한민국 대통령실 – 대한민국 대통령실, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=120880689
Moreover, over 100 long and short range ballistic missiles are believed to have been already tested by N.Korea. Especially, these missiles are capable of reaching US and South Korea.
Recently, since the beginning of 2022, there have been rising concerns of North Korea Cruise Missiles being Tested and that the Tests are now being conducted regularly by N.Korea. Surprisingly, in March 2023, some multiple Cruise Missile tests were being conducted by North Korea.
North Korea Cruise Missiles and Ballistic Missiles Testing
The Korean leader Kim Jong Un continued to speed up his drive to secure his Country’s Status as a Nuclear State. Additionally, he seems to be ultimately negotiating with US Economic and Security concessions from his position of strength. The North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to add more missile tests in the upcoming weeks or months. Specifically, he mentioned that North Koreas first Spy Satellite is ready to launch. Without giving out any other details of the launch, it is expected to be a banned test of long range Nuclear Missile.
This show of strength comes in the wake of the “Washington Declaration”, an Agreement between the United States of America and South Korea. As per the Agreement, the United States of America and South Korea will engage in joint tactical military exercises. These joint exercises will act as a deterrent to any hostilities from North Korea. The Agreement also makes way for Nuclear-armed US Submarines to be deployed temporarily in the region. The US will also be authorised to decide what kind of response needs to be given in case of a nuclear attack.
Warning To North Korea Cruise Missiles Test and Its Nuclear Programmes
On Wednesday, after meeting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden said,
“A nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States of America, or on any of it’s allies or partners is unacceptable and will result in the end of whatever regime were to take such an action.”.
In 2006, when North Korea tested a nuclear bomb, the world was not so concerned about an attack on South Korea. But recently North Korea has been consistently increasing its Nuclear arsenal.
The only way out of this extremely fragile impasse is for all parties to return to the negotiating table. One can expect to work out details to defuse the situation locally and institutionalise long-term peace-building efforts.
