Tensions on the Korean peninsula are increasing, the US wants to send more strategic weapons systems. Pyongyang is stepping up its threats — and is said to be testing an ICBM.
According to the leadership in Pyongyang, the North Korean missile test on Wednesday involved a new type of long-range missile with a solid fuel propulsion system. The state news agency KCNA reported that the Hwasong-18 missile had been in the air for more than 74 minutes – longer than any other North Korean missile before it.
The Hwasong-18 was first deployed in April for testing and propaganda purposes. It is North Korea’s first solid-propelled ICBM. Rockets loaded with such fuel are easier to transport and store, making them more difficult to detect by the enemy. They also prepare for launch faster than liquid-fuel rockets.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have recently increased significantly. Earlier this week, North Korea warned the United States against sending a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine to South Korea and indirectly threatened to shoot down American reconnaissance planes. North Korea accuses the United States and South Korea in particular of hostile policies.
After an unprecedented series of missile tests last year, North Korea has again tested nuclear-capable missiles several times this year. UN decisions ban the widely isolated country from any launch of ballistic missiles.
Source: Stern
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