North Korea has been using satellite subterfuge to test parts of a so-called “monster” missile, analysts say, as it gears up for a sanctions-shattering launch ahead of a key domestic anniversary.
SEOUL, South Korea — Pyongyang has conducted a record nine weapons tests so far this year, in what experts see as an effort to work through a laundry list of strategic weapons set out by leader Kim Jong Un.
North Korea has been observing a self-imposed moratorium on testing long range and nuclear weapons, but with talks stalled and sanctions still in place, it seems close to tearing it up. “North Korea hasn’t demonstrated the latter capability before, even if it has tested ICBMs capable of ranging the United States three times,” he said.North Korea’s renewed determination to test an ICBM comes at a delicate time in the region, with a new, more hawkish president, conservative Yoon Suk-yeol, set to take control in South Korea.
Launches will be met with fresh sanctions, to which “Pyongyang will likely respond by test-firing more weapons.” Masking these as satellite tests can help them to “buy time” to develop what they need to launch an ICBM, said Ahn Chan-il, a North Korean studies scholar, told AFP.
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