North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on the cusp of having something his father and grandfather could only dream of — the ability to unleash a nuclear attack on the United States. For anyone paying attention, the test launch of his country’s first intercontinental ballistic missile…
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on the cusp of having something his father and grandfather could only dream of — the ability to unleash a nuclear attack on the United States.
For anyone paying attention, the test launch of his country’s first intercontinental ballistic missile on the Fourth of July came as little surprise.
He has been racing to develop better and longer-range missiles and vowed this would be the year of the ICBM in his annual New Year’s address. He made good on that vow with the launch of the « Hwasong-14. »
But that isn’t all he’s been doing.
Here’s a quick primer.
CLOSING THE GAP
North Korea’s newest missile is called the Hwasong-14. Hwasong means « Mars. »
Experts believe the two-stage, liquid-fuel missile gives Kim the capability of reaching most of Alaska and possibly Hawaii. Some experts add Seattle and San Francisco. North Korea’s missiles aren’t very accurate, so big, soft targets like cities are what they would be aimed at.
Big caveat: Kim’s technicians still have a lot of work to do.
