Explained: What Could Be The Message Behind North Korea Firing Missile Over Japan?

For the first time in five years, North Korea fired a nuclear-capable missile over Japan. Since the beginning of this year, the rogue nuclear state has launched a barrage of missile tests in an alarming display of its military prowess, leading some to fear that a nuclear test is about to take place.

AP

South Korea has been rapidly expanding its arsenal. It became one of the few countries in the world to develop a submarine-launched ballistic missile capability. Additionally, it has supported the development of the Kill Chain System, a sizable missile defence system. If Seoul detects a threat, it may be able to launch catastrophic attacks on North Korea's military and political leadership.

Here¡¯s everything you would want to know about the incident.

How were North Korea's weapons acquired?

Reuters

Nuclear energy has been used by the country since the 1950s, when the Soviet Union handed North Korea nuclear technology for constructive purposes. Despite joining international organisations like the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the country secretly developed a weapons programme in the 1970s and 1980s. Pakistan played a significant role in this process and contributed by providing nuclear designs and expertise in exchange for support with its missile development. The IAEA accused the country of lying to its technicians and producing plutonium for nuclear weapons, which led to the programme becoming a global highlight. The US intelligence agencies claimed that Pyongyang had enough plutonium for a nuclear weapon in 1994.

This led to a series of crises that were occasionally settled diplomatically by parties like the US and South Korea, before North Korea started conducting tests once more. Additionally, the country conducted its first nuclear test in 2006 and has since conducted six more.

What can be done with the missile programme?

North Korea now possesses a terrifying array of missile capacities. It is possible for missiles like the Hwasong-12, which was reviewed this week, to target Guam, a key American Pacific outpost. The Hwasong 15 and Hwasong 17 are more advanced missiles that can reach the entire continental United States. Additionally, Pyongyang may be developing a variety of weapons, such as hypersonic and rail-fired missiles, to circumvent US and South Korean missile defence systems. According to the RAND Corporation, the country may also be pushing up the modernization and expansion of its nuclear capabilities, and by 2027, it is expected to have enough nuclear material for 200 bombs.

AP

What is the purpose of North Korea's missile tests?

North Korea has been looking at more than 30 missiles since the start of 2022, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, an American think tank. Since taking office in 2011, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has evaluated more than 160 missiles, more than five times as many as his father and grandfather combined.

Reuters

Many of the self-imposed constraints that the country had placed in place when it hoped to reach an agreement with the United States have been undone by Kim Jong Un after the failure of his 2019 discussions with President Trump. An example of this is the most recent missile test of a long-range missile over Japan; North Korea had previously stated that it could not test such missiles that could threaten states like the US. According to experts, North Korea is attempting to modernise and improve its offensive capabilities in order to put pressure on the United States and South Korea to enter into negotiations.

What was the response from other nations?

The United States and its allies, including South Korea and Japan, strongly denounced the missile launch. Washington's response was to conduct military exercises with both Seoul and Tokyo. The three nations, which support the US-led military order in East Asia, have agreed to keep up their efforts to thwart North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

Reuters

Since the beginning of the Biden Administration, the US has attempted to negotiate, but Pyongyang has rejected its offers.

According to Western analysts, North Korea's most recent measures will undo the gains earned by both parties since tensions subsided in 2017.

What could be the possible effects on the army?

The nuclear threat presented by Pyongyang is what prompted Japan to decide to build up its military and increase defence budget levels. Tokyo may also be seriously considering acquiring preemptive strike capabilities that would allow it to attack North Korean missile sites before a threat materialises.