North Korea Making Noise Again, Launches First Test Missile Since March

Until now, all has been quiet at the end of North Korea. Little has been heard on the military operations of the NoKors but it appears all that has now changed.

According to reports, North Korea has fired a new long-range cruise missile, something that may have nuclear capability. It was the first the country’s first known testing activity since March.

The last time the NoKors launched something was the new short-range tactical missile. Aside from that, the only other cruise missile test they made was just after US President Joe Biden took office in January.

It was the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) that reported about the launch. The missile reportedly hit targets 932 miles away and flew in different patterns during the weekend. The missile was described as a strategic weapon of great significance.

South Korea stated that they were analyzing the missile launch US and South Korean intelligence.

"This activity highlights [North Korea's] continuing focus on developing its military program and the threats that poses [to] its neighbours and the international community," the US military's Indo Pacific command stated.

It should be noted that the test did not involve ballistic missiles, something that can be used to carry large nuclear warheads. Hence, this activity was not banned under UN Security Council resolutions.

"This would be the first cruise missile in North Korea to be explicitly designated a 'strategic' role," Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said. "This is a common euphemism for nuclear capable system."

The test is being confirmed as of this writing. But assuming it is made official, it would be the first research activity from North Korea after a considerable time of being silent.

Just last month, the UN suggested that North Korea appears to have restarted a nuclear reactor, potentially producing plutonium for nuclear weapons.

Talks on potential nuclear disarmament have been stalled since 2019. South Korea, the United States and Japan are set to meet this week to discuss ways to break that impasse.