North Korea boasts of ‘shaking the world’ by testing missiles that can strike US
- Its foreign ministry says the country is one of just a handful with nuclear arms and the only one standing up to the United States
- January was a record month for weapons tests, with seven launches, including a new type of ‘hypersonic’ missile able to manoeuvre at high speed
International tension has been rising over a recent series of North Korean ballistic missile tests, actions long banned by the UN Security Council. January was a record month of such tests, with at least seven launches, including a new type of “hypersonic missile” able to manoeuvre at high speed.
Also among the tests was the first firing since 2017 of a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile, capable of striking US territories in the Pacific Ocean.
A statement from North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said a series of tests since New Year represented “remarkable achievements” that strengthened North Korea’s “war deterrence”.
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It also cited the Hwasong-15, the longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) ever launched by North Korea, which has not been fired since its first test in 2017, and is believed to have the range to deliver a nuclear warhead anywhere in the US.