North Korea attempted and failed a rocket launch from the
Wonsan region of Kangwon Province on the morning of May 31 at about 5:20 am,
according to an estimate from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
It is believed that the missile was a “Musudan” mid-range
ballistic missile but that it exploded at the mobile launchpad where the launch
button was pressed, according to an unidentified government source cited by
Yonhap News Agency.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff also reported that the launch was
thought to have failed, noting, “We are continuing to perform additional
analysis on the current situation. The military is paying extremely close attention
to the related developments and is maintaining a state of readiness.”
North Korea first launched this type of Musudan missile in a
“gun salute” to Kim Il Sung on his birthday–April 15–but the rocket exploded
in mid-launch. On April 29, two additional Musudan missiles were launched, both
ending in failure.
Military experts believe that North Korea has continued to
test the missile system despite three previous failures because it wants to
develop the technology for future nuclear application. The maximum range of the
Musudan missile is 3,000km – 4,000km. It is capable of carrying a nuclear
warhead as a payload. North Korea intends to show off this technology in order
to earn ‘nuclear power’ status on the international stage.
This latest missile launch comes during a time in which
North Korea is facing the strongest set of international sanctions that have
ever targeted the regime. The sanctions came in response to North Korea’s
fourth nuclear test. But the regime is not submitting to this pressure and
isolation. It is instead continuing to develop miniaturized nuclear weapons and
nuclear payload capable missiles.
“North Korea is showing an open disregard for the sanctions.
At the same time, it is using these missile launches to get closer and closer
to solving some key technological problems. In the road ahead, North Korea will
continue using nuclear tests and missile launches to establish ‘nuclear combat
readiness,’” Korea Institute for Defense Analysis Researcher Kim Jin Mu told
Daily NK.
“Miniaturization is the final step of nuclear development.
They are very close to completion there. Because of this, they are most likely
prioritizing the expansion of missile payload capabilities at the moment. They
will continue to use the same delaying tactics they employ now, such as
suggesting dialogue in order to buy time. Once they complete these
technological goals, they’ll be able to use provocations whenever they like.”
Korea Defense Network President Shin In Gyun also weighed
in, noting that while North Korea claims that it currently possesses nuclear
warheads, it still does not possess any warheads capable of reaching America; therefore, by that standard, they lack deterrence.
However, he added, if they can successfully develop the
Musudan missile system, they will have a missile with a large enough range to
reach America. In terms of bargaining power, this would represent a giant leap
forward for the regime.
“Developing a state of the art missile is a process. After a
failed launch, you make adjustments and try again. This year, North Korea has
already launched four rockets, all failures. This is an irrationally large
amount of attempts, which is reflective of the regime’s anxious state,” Shin
pointed out.
