N. Korea launches suspected ICBM after S. Korea, U.S. hold nuclear talks to deter threats

북 ICBM 발사 ’화성 18형’ 가능성 한미 ’핵작전 연습’ 합의 반발 We begin with a fresh round of provocations by Pyongyang. North Korea launched an ICBM this morning, in the space of less than 12 hours since it fired a short-range one last night. This comes after South Korea-U.S. nuclear consultative talks in Washington over the weekend on how to respond to Pyongyang’s nuclear threat together. Our foreign affairs correspondent Bae Eun-ji reports. At about 8:30 AM on Monday morning, North Korea launched what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile toward waters off its east coast. The South Korean military said it was launched from an area near Pyongyang, at a high angle and flew about 1,000 kilometers before landing in the East Sea. It said South Korea, the U.S., and Japan had been maintaining full defense readiness, and added that warning data on the latest missile was shared between the three countries. This marks the North’s fifth ICBM launch this year --the highest number in a single year. It last tested an ICBM less than six months ago, the second test of a solid-fuel Hwasong-18 in July, after conducting the first in April. The South Korean military reportedly believes Monday’s missile could have been another test launch of the North’s Hwasong-18. Japan’s defense ministry also said the latest missile’s flight time and trajectory is similar to that of the solid-fuel Hwasong-18 ICBM launched in July. It added that if it was fired on a normal trajectory, instead of a high angle --it could have flown more than 15,000 kilometers, long enough to strike the U.S. mainland. Monday’s launch came less than 12 hours after the North fired a short-range ballistic missile the night before. Launched at about 10:30 PM on Sunday night, it flew about 570 kilometers before falling into the East Sea. North Korea’s consecutive missile launches appear to be an apparent protest against the second Nuclear Consultative Group, or NCG meeting held in Washington, where South Korea and U.S. officials agreed to conduct nuclear operation exercises in next year’s joint military training, to deter Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile threats. The North Korean defense ministry earlier on Sunday strongly criticized the outcome of this meeting, saying this is yet another sign of efforts to streamline war planning and a threat of a potential nuclear weapons attack against the regime. Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News. #ICBM #military_provocation #NorthKorea #ballistic_missile #Nuclear_Consultative_Group #NCG #nuclear_operation_exercises #북한 #탄도미사일 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2023-12-18, 18:00 (KST)