38 North, a US media specializing in North Korea, predicted that North Korea's successive missile provocations could lead to independent nuclear armament of South Korea and Japan in the future.
38 North noted that North Korea has launched a total of 43 missiles this year, including 41 ballistic missiles, and analyzed that these activities would have security implications for the United States, South Korea and Japan.
North Korea's missile activity this year, given the available information and North Korea's traditional missile history, demonstrates an increasing nuclear threat to US territory.
"As the threat to the US mainland increases, so does the risk that North Korea perceives itself to have increased freedom of action," he said. You can make a decision that you need this.”
However, 38 North analyzed that North Korea's missile capabilities are not sufficient to immediately change the military and strategic situation on the Korean Peninsula.
ICBM capabilities are important to threaten the United States, because two of the six ICBM-related tests this year have failed, and ICBM flight tests for successful atmospheric re-entry are insufficient.
In addition, since North Korea already possesses a large amount of short-range ballistic missile SRBM and semi-medium-range missile MRBM capabilities, new solid-fuel-propelled SRBMs, low-orbit SRBMs, and hypersonic missiles are an 'additional option' rather than a game-changing 'game changer'. analyzed to be close to
38 North said, "Despite North Korea's missile threats targeting the US mainland and improvements in conventional SRBM capabilities, the ROK-US alliance is still capable of deterring North Korea. In addition to continuing efforts to maintain the conventional military capabilities of South Korea and Japan, efforts are needed to maintain passive defensive measures that will blunt the effectiveness of missile strikes."