North Korea resumed its nuclear testing on Sunday, launching a missile into the sea, which is reportedly the eighth it has conducted this year.
The Associated Press reported that the North Korean government conducted the missile launch while the United States and its NATO allies are focused on Ukraine due to the Russian invasion last week. North Korea is said to be perfecting its nuclear weaponry in the hope that the U.S. will be pressured to offer sanctions relief and other concessions.
The missile launch was reported by North Korea's neighbors, such as Japan. The Japanese Defense Minister, Nobuo Kishi, said the North Korean missile rose at a maximum altitude of roughly 600 kilometers as it flew 300 kilometers. The missile landed at the country's eastern coast. The launch was conducted with no reported vessels or aircraft damaged.
Kishi pointed out that North Korea was taking the opportunity as the world now focuses on Ukraine. This way, no ally member will respond to North Korea about it seriously.
"If North Korea deliberately carried out the missile launch while the international community is distracted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, such an act is absolutely unforgivable. Whatever the motives are, North Korea's repeated missile launches are absolutely inexcusable and we cannot overlook considerable missile and nuclear advancement," Kishi said.
South Korea similarly noticed the missile launch and expressed "deep concerns and grave regret" about it. South Korea similarly echoed Japan's concerns on North Korea's timing for the launch.
The missile launch reportedly came out a day after North Korea expressed support for Russia on what is happening in Ukraine. A North Korean researcher, Ri Ji Song, cited the United States as the one at fault for the invasion.
"The basic cause of the Ukraine incident lies in the high-handedness and arbitrariness of the United States, which has ignored Russia's legitimate calls for security guarantees and only sought a global hegemony and military dominance while clinging to its sanctions campaigns," Song said.
Accordingly, North Korea has an ambitious schedule of modernizing their military. Ewha University Professor Leif-Eric Easly told the Associated Press that North Korean President Kim Jong-un's governance is linked to testing "ever-better missiles."
"North Korea is not going to do anyone the favor of staying quiet while the world deals with Russia's aggression against Ukraine has an ambitious schedule of military modernization. The Kim regime's strength and legitimacy have become tied to testing ever-better missiles," Easley said.
North Korea has conducted seven missile test rounds in January alone. Their testing ended when the Beijing Winter Olympics began, since China was North Korea's major ally. Experts have assessed that North Korea will resume the launches, as well as, test bigger weapons after the Olympics.
One of its missile testing last month involved a ballistic missile that is capable of reaching Guam, an American territory. The said launch, a prelude to succeeding provocations by North Korea, meant to test the overall accuracy of the Hwasong-12 missile that was used by its military.
Last June, President Joe Biden extended the declaration on the National Emergency with respect to North Korea. The extension came from the "proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material" in the communist country.
