On the 75th foundation anniversary of North Korea’s army, President Kim Jong Un displayed 11 nuclear arsenals including its monster missile Hwasong-17. The display of missiles is being predicted as a threat to its rivals, mainly the USA and South Korea.
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North Korea’s Nuclear Arsenal at 75th Military Anniversary
This Wednesday North Korea held a military parade to celebrate its 75th anniversary. President Kim Jung Un and her daughter Kim Ju Ae demonstrated the country’s missile production muscle. The country presented various intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in this parade. The international arena sees this as a development in North Korea’s new solid-fuel missile system which the country has been aiming for a long time. This missile system has been presented at a time when the US and South Korea share hostile relations with North Korea.
The state media was seen recording the ICBMs that were paraded through Pyongyang to show its most significant nuclear strike capability. The videos and photographs showed 11 large ICBMs including the Hwasong-17. The other arsenals displayed in the parade were prototypes or mockups of a new solid-fuel ICBM in canister launchers.
This was the 75th foundation anniversary of North Korea’s army. Kim Jong Un oversaw the parade alongside his daughter. Both of them were accompanied by various military leaders at the event. Kim Jong Un‘s attire also gained attention as it bore striking resemblance to his late grandfather’s outfit, he was wearing a long black coat and a fedora. He was seen waving to the crowd many times while displaying the military capabilities of the country.
Hwasong-17; North Korea’s Monster Missile
Hwasong-17 is one of the newly tested nuclear missiles of North Korea. It is North Korea’s largest missile also known by the name “Monster Missile”. It is the largest road-mobile, solid-fuelled ICBM in the world. It is suspected to have a target range that would allow it to strike nearly anywhere in the world with a nuclear warhead. The Japanese defence ministry had claimed that the missile could reach as far as the United States of America. It was tested in 2017 and has been put on display at times in 2020 and 2021.
Hwasong-17 stands apart from other nuclear weapons of North Korea. Most of the nuclear missiles of the country have been using liquid- fuel for their ICBMs but Hwasong-17 is different. It is harder to spot this missile and destroy it during the conflict as it uses solid fuel instead of liquid one.
North Korea’s missile display- lessons for the world
Yang Uk, a military expert at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a think tank in Seoul said that the prototype and parade of ICBMs appeared to be aimed at putting pressure on Washington. By demonstrating that Pyongyang had enough missile production capacity to overwhelm existing missile defence systems.
“The launchers indicate North Korea is preparing to test launch a solid-fueled ICBM this year, another major weapons advancement to threaten the U.S,” Mr Yang said.
It is important to note that US and UNSC have levied various sanctions on North Korea’s nuclear weapon development but the country has forged ahead with its missile programmes, developing and launching larger and better weapons. The display of missiles carries a strong message that N. Korea has expanded its stockpile of nuclear missiles. The country has been working since 2018 to develop this military capacity based on the order given by the president the same year.
The ICBMs demonstrated North Korea’s “tremendous nuclear strike capability,” North Korean state media said.
In its annual year-end meeting of the Worker’s Party, Kim Jong Un had already made it clear that N. Korea would mass-produce arsenals and weapons to target South Korea. Thousands of troops marched down Kim Il Sung Square displaying alongside different types of short-range ballistic missiles Last year, North Korea launched a record number of short-range ballistic missiles, proving they are operational and capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
“The main objective of Wednesday’s military parade is to show North Korea’s growing missile capability to strike the U.S. mainland, “said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University.
