North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has overseen the launch of a new model of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) called the "Hwasong-18," according to North Korean state media.
The missile launch is intended to intimidate the United States and South Korea into ceasing their military activities. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang's flagship regime media outlet, vowed to launch a series of stronger military offensives until the US and South Korea admit their defeat.
The South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that the missile's range appears to be capable of targeting the entire US mainland.
South Korean, Japanese, and American military officials have confirmed the launch of the missile, which is believed to be an ICBM. The missile flew for over an hour before crashing into Japanese waters near the northernmost island of Hokkaido.
The timing of the missile launch appeared to be aimed at disrupting South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's meetings at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Yoon used the platform to demand greater concern about North Korea's illegal nuclear weapons program, warning that Pyongyang's ICBM arsenal means that it could conduct nuclear strikes on much of Europe if desired.
The North Korean regime reinforced these fears with its claims of success in testing the Hwasong-18 for the first time. The regime called the test "another significant great event" necessary due to a "nuclear crisis" allegedly created solely by the United States.
Dictator Kim Jong-un personally guided the test, according to KCNA. Following the test, Kim claimed that North Korea would continue to accelerate the development of more developed, effective, and reliable weapon systems.
According to North Korean state media, relations with the United States are "nearing an intolerable critical point," necessitating further nuclear arms development. North Korea accused the United States of openly planning to discuss the use of nuclear weapons against their state.
The North Korean news agency claimed that the United States is inching towards "an unprecedented nuclear war." North Korea has been complaining about two specific moves by Washington: the stationing of the USS Michigan, a nuclear-powered submarine, in Busan, South Korea, and alleged "aerial espionage" flights into North Korean airspace.
The alleged Hwasong-18 missile reportedly flew for 1,001.2 kilometers (about 622 miles) for 4,491 seconds at a maximum altitude of 6,648.4 km (about 4,131 miles) before accurately landing in a pre-set area in the East Sea (Sea of Japan). South Korean officials confirmed that the Hwasong-18 is a solid-fuel missile, which is harder to detect ahead of launch than liquid-propellant ones.
The Hwasong-18 is the successor to the Hwasong-17, which Kim debuted in March 2022.
The launch of the Hwasong-18 does not necessarily mean that North Korea will no longer test older models. In February, North Korea conducted an ICBM launch drill that South Korean experts believe featured the Hwasong-15, an older version of the missile.
The missiles also regularly appear in North Korea's large-scale communist parades. Reports indicate that North Korea is planning a major event to mark the July 27, 1953, signing of an armistice agreement ending active hostilities in the Korean War.
The National Security Council (NSC) of the United States issued a statement condemning the launch of the Hwasong-18.
The NSC called it a brazen violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions and urged North Korea to choose diplomatic engagement instead.
North Korea has largely refused any diplomatic engagement with the administration of President Joe Biden. Prior to becoming president, Pyongyang recommended Biden be "beaten to death as quickly as possible."
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