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Kim Jong-un’s ‘most hated rock’: the island North Korea keeps pounding for target practice
- Alsom Island, a barren outcrop 18km off North Korea’s coast, has been targeted by Pyongyang in more than 25 missile strikes since 2019
- It houses a mysterious domed structure that some say is a stand-in for a government building in Seoul – and its name means ‘No Man’s Land’
The South Korean military has closely watched the outcropping’s bombardment, especially after North Korea built a 10-metre wide domed structure there in August 2020, according to opposition lawmaker Yoon Ju-kyeong. Such a structure could be used to test bunker-buster bombs, her office said, while others have speculated it might serve as a stand-in for a government building in Seoul.
![A combination image provided by North Korean state media shows missile tests in January targeting Alsom Island. Photo: Korean Central News Agency via Reuters](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2022/02/07/71d8bcc0-c634-48fe-917d-79311e218bc5_f6fb0358.jpg)
So much firepower directed at a single spot has prompted jokes that Kim must have a grudge, with weapons expert Joseph Dempsey quipping on Twitter that Alsom was North Korea’s “most hated rock”.
In recent weeks, Kim has honed his newest short-range ballistic missiles on Alsom, some of which have slammed into the rocky outcrop at speeds possibly in excess of 3,000km/h. North Korea also used the site to prove the accuracy and maneuverability of long-range cruise missiles that it said flew in patterns for 1,800km before hitting their targets on January 25. It released photos of the impact.
The island is situated far enough off the coast to provide a buffer for errant rockets and close enough to expect only North Korean vessels would be in the area. At about 850 metres (2,800 feet) in length, it’s small enough to show the US and its allies that Kim can hit what he aims at.
As North Korea steps up launches, Alsom has provided a fiery backdrop for its domestically focused propaganda campaigns. State media have repeatedly published images of missiles fired at the island in recent days, including dramatic overhead drone shots.
![Kim Jong-un is thought to target Alsom Island because it’s small enough to show the US and its allies that he can hit what he aims at. TPhoto: KCTV Handout via AFP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2022/02/07/332c9824-b9e3-427b-bb80-28599b2e9196_83112958.jpg)
North Korea has fired its new missiles from various locations as it tries out new capabilities, such as a January test of ballistic missiles fired from train cars. Still, Alsom is too close to make a viable target if Kim makes good on his threat to resume tests of larger, intercontinental ballistic missiles. Those must be fired hundreds of kilometres into space and fall farther from the country’s shores.
“North Korea has been doing missile tests, dozens of them, in prior administrations,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told a news briefing last week. “And obviously we’ve spoken to it each time that has happened. The door to diplomacy remains open and we have conveyed that clearly.”
For now, the bombardment of Alsom looks set to continue. North Korea has already fired more nuclear-capable missiles in 2022 than in all of last year. And holidays on February 16 and April 15 marking the respective birthdays of Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il, and grandfather, Kim Il-sung, have in the past provided occasions for military displays.
“By hitting the same target from different origins of aggression, North Korea could test and improve its striking capability aimed at the ROK,” said Cheon Seong-whun, a former security strategy secretary at South Korea’s presidential Blue House, referring to South Korea by its formal name.
“Pyongyang is testing to see whether its striking options are working in reality,” he said.
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