First Look at North Korea’s New Hwasong-17 ICBM Launch: Built to Deliver Nuclear Strikes to Cities Across America

[Abid123]

In the early hours of March 25 North Korea released the first images of its first ever test launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental range ballistic missile, which marks its first launch of a missile capable of striking the United States mainland since November 2017 when it imposed moratorium on such testing. The launch was conducted to “ensure the scientific and technical reliability of [Hwasong-17’s] prompt operation under the wartime condition,” and saw the missile fly far in to space to a 6250km altitude before descending to 1000km from its launch location. Regarding the unusual trajectory, which is intended to avoid violating the airspace of neighbouring countries while still demonstrating the full range of an ICBM, an official statement confirmed: “The intercontinental ballistic missile was test-fired vertically in consideration of the security of the neighbouring states.” The Hwasong-17 is the third North Korean intercontinental range design to be test fired successfully, following the Hwasong-14 and Hwasong-15 which were first launchd in July and November of 2017 respectively. The former could strike cities across the east coast of the United States while the latter could strike cities across the entire American mainland. The Hwasong-17 is expected to improve on this by being able to strike with multiple warheads.

North Korean Leadership at First Hwasong-17 Launch

Attending the launch, which took place north of the capital Pyongyang, Chairman Kim Jong Un of the ruling Korean Workers' Party commented: “It is necessary to make clear that whoever tries to infringe upon the security of our state shall pay dearly. Our state defence capability will make thorough preparations for long confrontation with U.S. imperialism on the basis of the tremendous military technical force unflinching even to any military threat and blackmail.” The Korean leader added that the “Strategic Force of the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea - the official name of North Korea] is fully ready to thoroughly check and contain any dangerous military attempt of the U.S. imperialists,” and that “the new strategic weapon of the DPRK will clearly show the might of our strategic force to the whole world once again.” The test noticeably came at a time of heightened international tensions surrounding the Russian-Ukrainian war, and has been harshly condemned by South Korea, Japan and United States. North Korea last tested miniaturised nuclear warheads in 2017, with U.S. intelligence assessments repeatedly indicating that it was capable of mounting a nuclear warhead on and ICBM to strike the United States. The possibility that Pyongyang could leverage the threat of further test launches to press Washington for a new round of negotiations, possibly leading to the relaxation of economic sanctions imposed through the United Nations Security Council, has been widely speculated.

Source: https://militarywatchmagazine.com/a...iver-nuclear-strikes-to-cities-across-america

 

[Nuclear Clown]

KJU has no intension to nuke anyone, it's the usual Kim-family madman's policy that was also used in the west by both Nixon and Trump.
He's all about regime survival and is neither crazy nor dumb...
And he's less anti-west he has to pose like for many reasons, mainly historical...
In fact, NoKo and SoKo are entangled in a Gordian knot and outside the box thinking is the way to go...
Technically speaking, the Kim's are an absolute monarchy, while SoKo is a republic and a democracy...
The solution can be a win-win, especially since it's also SoKo's best interest to be a nuclear power due to both Russia and PRC having renewed with imperialism :
Keep SoKo consttution and modify it as a constitutional monarchy on the Swede, Danish, Norwegian model with KJU as a king while his wife looks as queenish as Kate or Rania...
The Juche antiques will be kept for folklore, no more hardship for those living in the north, reunification, etc... KJU still can have fun with artillery and missiles without constant brinkmanship and as a king, the hereditary posture of the Kim family is kept while going the Panmunjom Declaration way is absolutely feasible...
It'd be a win-win non zero-sum game, moreover, nobody seems to have considered such an option. Moreover, KJU has grown within the Swiss international elite boarding schools system, my 2 cents he'd have few issues to adapt to a status where he'll be able to enjoy the same enjoyable things he does now while not having to cope with the bad sides.

Panmunjom Declaration
According to the declaration, the governments of North Korea and South Korea agreed to cooperate on officially ending the Korean War and the Korean conflict, beginning a new era of peace and sharing commitments in ending divisions and confrontation by approaching a new era of national reconciliation, peace, reunification and prosperity and improvements to inter-Korean communication and relations. This declaration agreed that both sides would "make active efforts to seek the support and cooperation of the international community for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula"
[frankly? Better drop the denuclearization! Jinping copy-pastes Hitler's pre-WW2 speeches' substances... When you have a neighbour with such talk and doing a gigantic military build up, it's not the time to do it like Chamberlain and Daladier]

The two leaders solemnly declared before the 80 million Korean people and the whole world that there will be no more war in Korea and thus a new era of peace has begun.

1. Promote common prosperity and reunification of Korea through dramatic improvement and development of inter-Korean relations

• Continue high-level working-level talks for the full implementation of the agreement
• Establishment of Joint Liaison Office in Gaeseong between South and North Korea
• Multilateral cooperation and exchange
• Inter-Korean Red Cross talks and reunions of separated-families on 15 August 2018
• Connecting and modernizing roads with Donghae and Gyeongui railways

2. Elimination of military tension and substantial elimination of war risk

• Cease all hostile acts
• Designed as a peace zone in the western part of the west coast
• Establishment of military mutual guarantee measures through high-rank military-level talks

3. Establishing a permanent and peaceful Korean peninsula peace regime

• Inviolable agreement
• Stepwise disarmament
• In celebration of the 65th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement in 2018, South and North Korea co-operate closely with the US and China to establish a peace treaty on the Korean peninsula after ending the 1953 Korean War.
• Finalise the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula

The two leaders agreed, through regular meetings and direct telephone conversations, to hold frequent and candid discussions on issues vital to the nation, to strengthen mutual trust and to jointly endeavor to strengthen the positive momentum towards continuous advancement of inter-Korean relations as well as peace, prosperity and reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

IMHO, the constitutional monarchy is the best way to achieve reunification and if you take a look at all constitutional monarchies w. democracy, they tend to do very very well while, if done on a German reunification model, all the NoKo apparatus would end jobless.

When KJU rose to power, nobody would have bet a dime on smth like this to happen:

Everybody loves a happy ending, this can be achieved...

 

[FuturePAF]

Recently showed its latest ICBM in detail on Russian TV. If any country has the most formidable ICBMs it’s either the US or the Russians. With the pressure on the Russians, it not inconceivable more Russians will go to work for the DPRK.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1594349536415096833