Washington has accused North Korea of testing a new missile system
North Korea launches intercontinental ballistic missiles The United States will take action to prevent the creation of “banned weapons programs.”
The Biden administration says two North Korean missile launches in recent weeks have actually been a new long-range ICBM’s test missile.
Ahn Young-Jun / App / Kiston
North Korea’s February 26 and March 4 missiles were aimed at testing “components of the new system” of intercontinental ballistic missiles, a senior White House official said Thursday, calling it a “serious expansion.”
“These shots are definitely intended to test the components of this new system before North Korea launches a full-scale launch that could attempt to send it into space,” he added. Pyongyang has already confirmed that these are satellite development tests after the shootings in late February and early March.
In response to these new tests, the United States will announce on Friday measures “to prevent access to foreign products and technologies that will allow North Korea to develop banned weapons programs,” and anonymous sources said “other measures will be followed in the coming days.”
“The United States has decided to make this information public and share it with our allies and partners because we prioritize strategic risk mitigation and we firmly believe that the international community must speak with one voice to oppose North Korea’s future development,” he said. “We are constantly looking for diplomatic dialogue with the North Koreans and are ready for an unconditional meeting,” he added.
Washington and its allies stumbled into opposition from Russia and China earlier this week, and the UN Security Council called on North Korea.
Despite tough international sanctions on its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, Pyongyang has so far turned down all concessions since the breakdown of talks between President Kim Jong Un and then US President Donald Trump in 2019.
North Korea has accelerated the modernization of its military and warned in January that it could lift its self-imposed ban on testing long-range missiles and nuclear weapons.
The announcement by the United States comes after the presidential victory in South Korea by Eun Suk-yol, who wants to harden the tone against North Korea. The new South Korean president, Joe Biden, invited him to greet him on Thursday, promising that Kim Jong Un would “learn some habits” from you.
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