It is now Sept. 9 in North Korea, meaning the country\u2019s celebration of the 69th anniversary of its ruling party\u2019s founding has officially begun…<\/b>
\nIt is now Sept. 9 in North Korea, meaning the country\u2019s celebration of the 69th anniversary of the creation of the North Korean state has officially begun. Last year, the country celebrated its 68th anniversary with its fifth nuclear test. This year, the US and South Korea are anticipating another demonstration of military strength from the isolated country \u2013 most likely another missile test.
According to the Associated Press, Seoul’s Unification Ministry spokeswoman Eugene Lee said Friday that Pyongyang could potentially conduct its next ICBM tests this weekend or around Oct. 10. On the previous North Korean holiday, which took place in April, Kim Jong Un paraded what appeared to be an arsenal of ICBM\u2019s through the center of Pyongyang to celebrate the birthday of Kim Il Sung, Kim\u2019s grandfather and the founder of North Korea.
Any missile test would be the country\u2019s first since it fired a medium-range missile over the Northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, an escalation that alarmed US and Japanese officials and briefly sent stocks reeling before the dip was immediately bought. A few days before, the North fired three short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan.
However, the North hasn\u2019 t tested a missile with intercontinental range since July, when it twice tested its developmental Hwasong-14 ICBMs. Analysts say the flight data from the launches indicate the missiles could cover a broad swath of the continental United States, including major cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago, when perfected, according to the AP.
While the North has previously fired the ICBMs at highly lofted angles to reduce ranges and avoid other countries, South Korean officials say the next launches could be conducted at angles close to operational as the North would seek to test whether the warheads survive the harsh conditions of atmospheric re-entry.
As the AP notes, Kim, a third-generation dictator in his 30s, has conducted four of North Korea’s six nuclear tests since taking power in 2011. The North Korean military has maintained a torrid pace in testing weapons, which also include solid-fuel missiles built to be fired from road mobile launchers or submarines.
Kim, as Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently reminded us, believes obtaining nuclear weapons is his best chance at securing his family\u2019s hold on power by enabling them to keep \u201cUS imperialists\u201d at bay.
Both Chinese and Russian officials have called for talks between the US and North Korea. The two countries even offered a \u201croadmap\u201d to peace requiring that the US and South Korea cease their military exercises, which the North views as dress rehearsals for an invasion, while the North would halt its nuclear program.
However, in an unfortunate coincidence, any plans the Kim regime might have could be foiled by a severe geomagnetic storm raging from the sun, according to Express. The storm could interfere with the missile\u2019s functionality, even if they\u2019 re outfitted to protect against the sun\u2019s radiation.
If that\u2019s the case, Kim might opt to bide his time. Maybe he\u2019 ll hold another parade like he did in April? Meanwhile, in the US, President Donald Trump yesterday reiterated that the US hasn\u2019 t ruled out a military response to the North\u2019s provocations, adding that it\u2019 ll be a \u201csad day\u201d for the North if the US is forced to attack.
At the very least, we\u2019 re sure Kim will take a few minutes to lob a few threats at the imperialists who\u2019 ve strangled his country\u2019s economy with sanctions, and are hoping to further tighten the screws.
In one sign of the creeping military escalation occurring on the Korean peninsula, the US intends to train its 25,000 troops in the South how to respond to an attack from a weapon of massive destruction, presumably launched by the North. The US is also moving its third THAAD missile-defense system to South Korea, which, as we noted yesterday, has a 100 percent success rate in test interceptions. However, the system has proven controversial among South Koreans who live nearby, many of whom are fearful its presence has transformed their home into a target for the North.<\/p>\n