SEOUL: North Korea may test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this month, a senior South Korean official said on Friday (Dec 15) before discussions with United States officials on responses to Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons threats.
Kim Tae-hyo, South Korea’s deputy national security adviser, declined to elaborate based on his comments but said North Korea’s ballistic missiles are the focus of Washington’s “extended deterrence” strategy.
“Extended deterrence is about finding a way to put down (a nuclear attack) early and decisively, and now, in December, I believe there’s a possibility of an ICBM launch by North Korea,” Kim told reporters as he arrived in Washington.
North Korea’s ballistic missiles are a nuclear threat regardless of their range because they can carry a nuclear warhead, Kim added.
North Korea has developed and tested a range of ballistic missiles that can reach targets in South Korea, Japan, and the mainland United States.
Under conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea has stepped up efforts to bolster its defences against North Korea, focused on the use of US strategic military assets, including nuclear weapons, in the event of a war.
Source: CNA
