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Missile test a sign North Korea ‘more willing’ to challenge South, US as tensions rise
- The missile could neutralise South Korea’s missile defence system and threaten US strategic assets such as its aircraft-carrier striker groups in the West Pacific, analysts say
- The show of force marks efforts by the North to build up its military might amid increased cooperation with Russia, they add
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The test launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) carrying a hypersonic warhead by North Korea over the weekend is expected to mark a serious threat to US aircraft-carrier strike groups in the West Pacific.
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The North on Monday claimed the test was successful, with analysts warning the launch should be a cause for concern regionally as it could signal a greater readiness by the hermit kingdom to challenge the United States and its allies.
Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, noted the missile launch came immediately after the Kim regime escalated war rhetoric towards South Korea.
The launch also took place a day before North Korea’s foreign minister Choe Son-hui left for Russia for talks with counterpart Sergey Lavrov amid what is seen as deepening military cooperation between the two countries.
“Pyongyang’s show of force should be of concern beyond Seoul, as its military cooperation with Moscow adds to the violence in Ukraine, and because it may be more willing to challenge the US and its allies while global attention is fixed on the Middle East,” Easley warned.
Choe’s visit, which followed Lavrov’s trip to Pyongyang in October, also comes amid allegations that the North provided weapons to Russia for its war with Ukraine in return for Moscow’s technical assistance for Pyongyang’s weapons programme.
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Both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied any arms deals.
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