North Korea’s latest missile test ended in failure on Wednesday when a suspected hypersonic missile exploded midair shortly after launch.
The missile, believed to have been fired from near Pyongyang, reached an altitude of approximately 100 kilometers and traveled over 200 kilometers before detonating east of Wonsa, a coastal city in North Korea.
This unsuccessful launch follows North Korea’s recent signing of a mutual defense treaty with Russia during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the country. The pact, which promises “mutual assistance in the event of aggression,” has drawn criticism from South Korea, the United States, and Japan, particularly amid concerns that North Korea may be supplying weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine.
The failed missile test coincides with increased tensions in the region. North Korea has expressed anger over the presence of the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier group, which arrived for joint exercises with South Korean and Japanese forces. In response, North Korea’s vice defense minister, Kim Kang, issued threats of retaliation against what he termed “provocative attempts” by the US and South Korea.
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Adding to the regional unrest, North Korea launched over 25 balloons filled with trash toward South Korea on the same day as the missile test. This action caused significant disruptions at Incheon International Airport, with flight operations suspended for three hours after a balloon landed on the tarmac.
The North Korean government has been sending balloons toward the south since May, claiming these balloons were “gifts of sincerity” in retaliation for South Korean activists regularly sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets, food, medicine, and USB sticks loaded with K-pop music videos into North Korean territory.
The country also kicked off a month-long commemoration of the 74th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. They started this celebration of “anti-American struggle” with a mass rally in Pyongyang on Tuesday.
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