North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened “more offensive actions” to repel what he called increasing United States-led military threats after he supervised the third test of his country’s most advanced missile designed to strike the mainland U.S., state media reported Tuesday.
Kim’s statement suggests he is confident in his growing missile arsenal and will likely continue weapons testing activities ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. But many observers say North Korea still needs to perform more significant tests to prove it has functioning missiles targeting the U.S. mainland.
After watching Monday’s launch of the Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile, Kim said the test showed how North Korea could respond if the United States were to make “a wrong decision against it,” according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
Kim stressed the need to “never overlook all the reckless and irresponsible military threats of the enemies … and to strongly counter them with more offensive actions,” KCNA said.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened “more offensive actions” to repel what he called increasing United States-led military threats after he supervised the third test of his country’s most advanced missile designed to strike the mainland U.S., state media reported Tuesday.
After watching Monday’s launch of the Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile, Kim said the test showed how North Korea could respond if the United States were to make “a wrong decision against it,” according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
But many foreign experts say North Korea still has some other technological hurdles to master to acquire reliable nuclear-tipped ICBMs, such as one to protect warheads from the harsh conditions of atmospheric reentry.
Since 2022, North Korea has performed more than 100 ballistic missile tests in violation of the United Nations’ bans in what outside experts call an effort to upgrade its nuclear arsenal and win greater U.S. concessions.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Tuesday that Tokyo is coordinating with Washington and Seoul to arrange a United Nations Security Council meeting on Wednesday to discuss the North’s latest launch.
“So while Kim continues to raise issues with the U.S.-Japan-Korea trilateral, he sees the utility in forming alliances and gravitates toward Beijing and Moscow to serve as a thorn in our side and to protect his own security and interests.”
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