Reinforcement of North Korea's long-range weapons system, 'parallel' foreign talks with China

Reinforcement of North Korea's long-range weapons system, 'parallel' foreign talks with China

North Korea strengthened its arsenal with a long-range weapons system and held foreign affairs talks with China and ICBM test launches in parallel. North Korea's Korean Central News Agency reported that North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Park Myong-ho met with Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in China on the 15th about strategic cooperation and promotion of bilateral relations. They released a statement on the 16th saying that they had discussed it, and launched a short-range missile on the 16th and an ICBM on the 17th.
Japanese Vice Minister of Defense Shingo Miyake said on the 17th that North Korea's ICBM missiles have the potential to fly more than 15,000 kilometers (9,300 miles), meaning they can reach anywhere in Japan and the U.S. mainland.
Deputy Minister of National Security Kim Tae-hyo said of North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) on the 15th before attending the Nuclear Council (NCG) with the United States at Washington Airport, "Extended deterrence is finding a way to resolutely suppress (nuclear attacks) at an early stage." “I believe there is a possibility that North Korea will launch an ICBM in December. North Korea’s ballistic missiles can be equipped with nuclear warheads, so they are a nuclear threat regardless of range,” the media release said in an unusual manner.
Deputy Director Kim announced to Korean reporters immediately after the NCG meeting with the US White House NSC that “North Korea’s nuclear test is separate from the NCG.”
“These launches highlight North Korea’s efforts to develop its arsenal with long-range weapons that could potentially reach the U.S. mainland,” Yomiuri said. “The area near the international airport under Pyongyang’s jurisdiction is where North Korea has launched ICBMs in the past.” “It is suspected to be a missile assembly facility,” he said on the 18th.
The New York Times said, “As with previous ICBM tests, North Korea launched the missile at a steep angle to prevent it from passing over Japan,” adding, “It moves faster and is easier to launch than previous versions that rely on liquid fuel, making it more dangerous. "The United States and its allies, especially South Korea and Japan, are increasingly concerned about North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un's frequent missile tests, as North Korea claims to have developed new small nuclear warheads that can be mounted on a variety of missiles," the statement said on the 18th.
The NYT continued, "North Korea's nuclear attack on the United States or its allies is unacceptable and will lead to the end of the Kim Jong-un regime," senior officials from the United States and South Korea, known as the Nuclear Negotiating Group (NCG), said during a meeting in Washington on the 16th. Later, in a joint statement, a spokesperson for North Korea's Ministry of Defense said in a statement that day that the two countries' actions were "an attempt to make the use of nuclear weapons against North Korea in an emergency a fait accompli." It was reported that he said, “There is.”
Reuters said, “South Korea condemned this missile launch as a violation of the UN Security Council resolution prohibiting the use of ballistic missile technology, and North Korea denies it as a violation of its right to self-defense.” “The U.S. State Department also condemned this launch and urged North Korea to return to diplomacy and dialogue.” “I urged that,” he said.
Reuters continued, “A statement from an anonymous Department of Defense spokesperson mentioned the arrival of the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine Missouri in the South Korean port city of Busan on the 16th. “Previously, visits by U.S. nuclear submarines were rare, but the agreement between Seoul and Washington has increased the arrival of U.S. military assets,” he said. It was criticized as a provocative show of force. “The United States and South Korea have increased the intensity of joint military exercises to counter the growing threat from North Korea, and North Korea has test-fired a variety of ballistic missiles and launched its first military intelligence satellite in November,” the report said.
Regarding the telephone discussion between the national security advisers of South Korea, the United States and Japan on the 17th, the White House said, "(The security advisers) emphasized the importance of sharing missile warning information and coordinating responses to increased cooperation between Russia and North Korea." The Voice of America (VOA) announced on the 18th that it discussed the issue of ICBM test launches and “condemned this test launch, which is a clear violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.”
A statement from the U.S. State Department on the 17th said, “It violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions,” and “It poses a threat to North Korea’s neighbors and undermines regional security.” “We are committed to a diplomatic approach toward North Korea and urge North Korea to engage in dialogue,” VOA said on the 18th.