Kim Jong Un warns U.S. after firing its most powerful missile - Julien

Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credits: AFP 08:03, December 19, 2023

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to speed up his country's nuclear development and warned Washington against making any "wrong decisions" after overseeing the launch of the country's most powerful ballistic missile, state media said Tuesday. Pyongyang on Monday launched its ICBM-class Hwasong-18 missile, the third carried out by the country.

This comes a day after the arrival of the U.S. submarine USS Missouri at the South Korean port of Busan, and after a warning Saturday from Washington and Seoul that any nuclear attack by Pyongyang would lead to the end of the North Korean regime. The United States, South Korea and Japan on Tuesday also activated a system for sharing real-time data on North Korean missile launches, as part of strengthening cooperation in response to Pyongyang's growing nuclear threat.

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Kim Jong Un said Monday's launch sent a "clear signal to hostile forces" and "sets out important new tasks for the development of the DPRK's strategic nuclear forces," according to the North's KCNA news agency. "A test launch of Hwasongpho-18 ICBMs was organized as an important military operation to clearly show the overwhelming counterattack will of the DPRK's strategic nuclear forces and their unparalleled strength in the face of enemies," the text said, using the acronym of North Korea's official name.

The North Korean leader, who is seen in the photos with his daughter dressed in a pink fur jacket, also "set out important new tasks for the development of the DPRK's strategic nuclear forces," KCNA added.

Record-breaking streak of trials

North Korea's Hwasong-18 missile flew just over 1,000 kilometers in horizontal distance and reached a maximum altitude of about 6,000 kilometers that demonstrated "the combat capability of the ICBM unit," according to KCNA. South Korea's military said Monday that the launched ICBM used solid fuel, making it easier to transport the missiles and allowing for faster firing than liquid-fueled versions.

This is Pyongyang's third launch of such an ICBM, following the launches in April and July, which analysts say shows ongoing efforts to improve the technology. Japan's Defense Ministry said the Hwasong-18 had a potential range of more than 15,000 km, allowing it to potentially strike the entire U.S. territory. Seoul and Washington have stepped up defense cooperation in the face of a record series of weapons tests by Pyongyang this year.

South Korea's conservative government of President Yoon Suk Yeol is also working to strengthen historically strained ties with Japan, which occupied the Korean Peninsula during the first half of the 20th century.

'Irreversible' nuclear power

A spokesman for North Korea's Defense Ministry on Sunday criticized Washington and Tokyo's plan to strengthen their annual joint military drills next year to include a nuclear drill, calling the move an "open statement on nuclear confrontation." In November, North Korea successfully launched a military spy satellite into orbit that it says is already providing it with images of U.S. and South Korean military sites.

Last year, North Korea announced a new doctrine making its status as a nuclear power "irreversible" and allowing it to carry out a preemptive nuclear strike in the event of an existential threat to its regime. In September, its status as a nuclear state was also enshrined in its constitution, even though the regime considers nuclear capability essential to its survival. The United Nations Security Council has passed numerous resolutions calling on North Korea to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs since its first nuclear test in 2006. Sunday's missile launch took place on the anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il, father of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who died on Dec. 17, 2011.