North Korea’s “weapons test” US “space force” Japan’s “missile” Korean Peninsula “heavy armament”

North Korea conducted 2022 weapons tests over 30 years, the United States established a space force in South Korea, and Japan began developing missiles, and the Korean Peninsula has emerged as a “high-altitude weapons concentration zone.”

North Korea launched two ballistic missiles on the 15th and conducted more than 2,022 weapons tests over 30 years.

Japan announced on the 16th that it would invest 5 trillion yen ($37 billion) in long-range missiles over the next five years, deploy them in 2026, and purchase US-made Tomahawk and joint air-to-surface standoff missiles. 

 

As a result of the NSC Standing Committee on North Korea's semi-intermediate-range ballistic missile launch on the 18th, the Presidential Office warned, "North Korea's behavior of developing nuclear weapons and missiles and continuing provocations from generation to generation will further endanger the North Korean regime and warn that it will pay the price." said.

"Japanese defense officials said they are still finalizing the Tomahawk purchase details," the Associated Press said. We will develop other types of arsenals, such as hypersonic weapons, unmanned and multi-purpose vehicles, to work with the F-X next-generation fighter, which is being jointly developed with the UK and Italy for deployment in 2035,” it reported on the 18th.

The Wall Street Journal on the 18th said, “North Korea has already launched two ballistic missiles from the East Sea, making it a year of historic weapons activities.”

The Korean Central News Agency reported that an important research institute of the Academy of Defense Sciences "successfully conducted the first ground ejection test of a high-power solid fuel engine with 140 tf (ton force) propulsion at the Seohae Satellite Launching Station on the morning of the 15th." It is a major test of strategic significance as efforts to complete the key goals of strengthening national defense presented by the competition are leading to achievements.”

Voice of America (VOA) said, "Chairman Kim has solved one of the top five tasks in the strategic weapons sector of the five-year plan for the development of defense science and weapon system development proposed by the 8th Party Congress." “We look forward to the emergence of strategic weapons,” he said, adding, “Analysis shows that North Korea’s test this time is accelerating the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles and ICBMs that use solid fuel.”

On the 14th, US Forces Korea established the US Space Force to carry out missions such as monitoring North Korean missiles, and as a subordinate unit of the US Indo-Pacific Space Force Command, it provides space planning, space expertise, and space command and control functions to the USFK Commander and provides missile warning in the region. It was in charge of the field component command that carried out the Global Positioning System (GPS) and satellite communication missions.

VOA continued, "The launch of the U.S. Space Force in South Korea this time is the result of critical recognition of North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, such as the recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launch," adding that "real-time detection level missile warning will be possible."

The U.S. Space Force was established in 2019, and the Field Component Command installed outside the U.S. mainland is the third establishment after the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), which is in charge of China and North Korea, and the Central Command (CENTCOM), which is in charge of Iran and others.

Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Choo Kyung-ho, said at a party-governmental meeting on the 19th that “the economic slowdown is progressing faster than expected, and economic difficulties will be concentrated in the first half of next year.”

Deputy Prime Minister Chu said at the Blue House government task inspection meeting on the 15th, "It seems that our economy will get worse next year."
On the 19th, the Federation of Korean Industries announced that next year’s exports would only increase by 0.5% compared to this year in the “2023 Export Prospect Survey.”