New moves, "adding fuel to the fire"

The situation on the Korean peninsula has "heated up" again as Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington have new approaches to deter each other.

Image released by North Korea of ​​the missile launch on April 2.

Development of weapons using solid fuel

The South Korean military said on June 26 that a suspected supersonic missile launched by North Korea had exploded. This is a new development as North Korea is fiercely protesting the US deployment of an aircraft carrier to the region to participate in a trilateral military exercise with South Korea and Japan.

In a statement, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said North Korea launched a ballistic missile at around 5:30 a.m. on June 26 from a launch site near the capital Pyongyang into the East Sea of ​​North Korea.

The missile exploded in the East Sea of ​​the Korean Peninsula after flying about 250 kilometers, the JCS said. The JCS suspects the weapon was a solid-fuel hypersonic missile. It said the June 26 launch emitted more smoke than usual, possibly due to an engine failure.

The US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) said it condemned the launch by North Korea, although it did not pose a direct threat to US territory or allies.

In addition, INDOPACOM emphasized that the US commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan “remains steadfast.”

On the morning of June 26, Japan's Defense Ministry said it also detected a suspected ballistic missile launch by North Korea.

For its part, North Korean state media reported on June 27 that the country had successfully conducted a missile test to ensure its ability to carry multiple warheads.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), in a test conducted on June 26, the North Korean Rocket Administration successfully conducted a test to control the separation and guidance of each mobile warhead.

KCNA said the test was significant in achieving “the goal of rapidly developing missile technologies.”

Since 2021, North Korea has conducted a series of hypersonic missile tests in an apparent effort to penetrate its rivals' missile defense shields.

However, foreign experts remain skeptical about whether hypersonic weapons can achieve the speed and maneuverability that the country desires in tests.

In recent years, North Korea has been working to develop more solid-fuel weapons, a technology that makes launches harder to detect than liquid-fueled missiles, which must be fueled before launch.

The "world's strongest" alliance, why?

Also on June 26, South Korean forces on frontline islands fired 290 artillery shells and missiles into waters near the western sea border between the two Koreas. The South Korean Marine Corps said it would regularly conduct live-fire drills in the area.

These activities are actually banned under a 2018 de-escalation agreement with North Korea, which requires both countries to cease all hostile acts along their land and sea borders.

But the agreement has been in danger of collapsing in recent months, with the two Koreas exchanging gunfire near their maritime border in January and committing numerous violations.

South Korea conducted live-fire drills on its disputed western border with North Korea on Friday evening, the first since suspending a 2018 agreement aimed at easing frontline military tensions earlier this month.

Earlier, on June 22, the US aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt docked in South Korea, an event that North Korean Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang-il criticized as “reckless” and “dangerous.” North Korea has always strongly opposed large-scale military exercises between the US and South Korea and responded with missile tests.

On June 25, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the USS Theodore Roosevelt, becoming the first sitting South Korean president to visit a US aircraft carrier since 1994.

Speaking to US and South Korean forces on the aircraft carrier, President Yoon Suk Yeol said the alliance between the two countries was "the strongest in the world" and could defeat any enemy.

He said the US aircraft carrier began participating in the "Freedom Shield" exercise between South Korea, the US and Japan from June 26 to improve the ability to coordinate operations in the air, at sea and in cyberspace.

In addition, Seoul officials said the trilateral exercise is aimed at enhancing the three countries' response capabilities to North Korea's growing nuclear threats at a time when North Korea is promoting its military partnership with Russia.

The United States and its partners believe that North Korea has provided Russia with much-needed conventional weapons for the conflict in Ukraine in exchange for military and economic support.

The recent missile launch believed to be by North Korea was the first weapons demonstration since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of missiles from multiple rocket launchers on May 30 to simulate a preemptive strike on South Korea.

The test comes just days after an attempt to put a second North Korean spy satellite into orbit failed when the rocket carrying it exploded in mid-air shortly after launch.

Since 2022, North Korea has accelerated its weapons testing to enhance its nuclear strike capabilities in response to what it sees as a deepening US military threat. Foreign experts say North Korea wants to use its growing nuclear arsenal to extract greater concessions from the US when diplomacy resumes.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tinh-hinh-ban-dao-trieu-tien-nhung-nuoc-co-moi-them-dau-vao-lua-276531.html