2017 has been an eventful year for the North Korean missile program. North Korea has fired 23 missiles in 16 tests as of February and with each launch, they have been steadily perfecting their missile technology. Their most recent missile launched on Nov. 29 went further than it has ever before and landed in the Sea of Japan. North Korea’s missile caused Japan to activate their missile warning system causing a scare all across Japan. On July 4, North Korea conducted its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile which is also called an ICBM, which they claim could reach anywhere in the world. Many consider these rapid missile testings as a strange turn of events for North Korea because less than six years into his reign, Kim Jong Un has tested more missiles than his father and grandfather combined.

The reason why North Korea does these tests is that they need to conduct tests to perfect the technology, analysts say. North Korea wants a missile capable of reaching the United States topped with a nuclear warhead is considered to be Pyongyang’s ultimate goal. They want it because they believe that the United States will eventually try to remove Kim Jong Un from power. North Korea sees the power of nuclear weapons as the key to sparing Kim Jong Un from a fate similar to that which came to Moammar Gaddafi in Libya and Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Both the United States and the South Korean authorities believe Pyongyang will be able to pair their nuclear and missile capabilities sometime in 2018.

    

Reuters                                                                                           Reuters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/27/radio-signals-suggest-possible-north-korea-missile-test-japan-warns.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/01/world/asia/kim-jong-un-offer-talks-south-korea-and-us.html