North Korea tests missiles capable of hitting Guam amid tensions with the US

North Korea tests missiles capable of hitting Guam amid tensions with the US. 

North Korea on Monday (January 31) confirmed that it had tested a ballistic missile with an intermediate-range capable of reaching Guam, which is the US Guam.  

This missile test marks the most significant weapon test North Korea has launched in recent years.

The test launch took place on Sunday. The officially-run Korean Central News Agency said the launch was intended to precisely assess the missile that was being developed and used and confirm its accuracy overall.

Here’s a 5-point cheat sheet for this critical advancement within North Korea:

  • The missile was a Hwasong-12-class missile equipped with a camera mounted on the missile’s warhead. The lens captured the image of Earth from space. The Academy of Defense Science confirmed the weapon system’s security, accuracy, and efficacy.
  • The missile was launched towards the oceans off its east coast at a higher angle to avoid North Korea flying over other nations.
  • The missile flew for about 800 km (497 miles). According to South Korean and Japanese assessments, it reached an altitude of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) before crashing into the waters that separate and between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
  • The flight information reported makes this the strongest missile North Korea tested since 2017.
  • The Hwasong-12 missile can be used as a nuclear-capable ground-to-ground missile. A maximal range can be as high as 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) when it’s fired using an ordinary trajectory, enough to cover Guam. US Guam. Guam.

Washington’s response

This follows from August of 2017. Then, during the height of the tensions between the administration of then-Trump, the North Korean Strategic Forces threatened to make an enveloping fire close to Gaum by using Hwasong-12 missiles.

Following Sunday’s launch, White House officials said they considered the latest missile test part of an increasing number of provocations in the past few months, which has been progressively worrying.

The Biden administration will respond in the wake of the most recent missile tests by launching an unspecified action over the next few days.

 Perhaps, it was intended to prove to those in the North the fact that they are committed to its allies as well as protection in the area, According to an official in the Biden administration who spoke to reporters under the condition that they remain anonymous.

The Biden administration has again called for North Korea to return to talks but also stated that it doesn’t believe the type of summits between leaders Donald Trump held with Kim as a positive development at the moment.

However, some experts claim that the increase in testing illustrates how North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is determined to upgrade his arsenal of weapons despite the pandemic’s impact on the economy.