People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in Seoul on March 5, 2022, after North Korea fired at least one 鈥渦nidentified projectile鈥� in the country鈥檚 ninth suspected weapons test this year according to the South鈥檚 military. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
SEOUL 鈥� North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile Saturday, Seoul鈥檚 military said, continuing this year鈥檚 record-breaking blitz of weapons tests with a launch just days before South Korea鈥檚 presidential election.
From hypersonic to medium-range ballistic missiles, Pyongyang test-fired a string of weaponry in January and last week launched what it claimed was a component of a 鈥渞econnaissance satellite鈥� 鈥� although Seoul described it as another ballistic missile.
Despite biting international sanctions over its nuclear weapons, Pyongyang has ignored US offers of talks since high-profile negotiations between leader Kim Jong Un and then-US president Donald Trump collapsed in 2019.
Instead of diplomacy, Pyongyang has doubled-down on Kim鈥檚 drive to modernize its military, warning in January that it could abandon a self-imposed moratorium on testing long-range missiles and nuclear weapons.
South Korea鈥檚 military said Saturday it had detected a presumed 鈥渂allistic missile launched into the East Sea from the Sunan area around 08:48 am.鈥�
South Korea鈥檚 National Security Council condemned Pyongyang鈥檚 鈥渦nprecedented repeated firing of ballistic missiles鈥�, which goes against peace on the Korean Peninsula and the international community, the presidential Blue House said in a statement.
Seoul will 鈥渆ven more thoroughly monitor North Korea鈥檚 nuclear and missile-related facilities, such as Yongbyon and Punggye-ri鈥�, the statement added.
Tokyo also confirmed the launch, saying the missile had flown 鈥渁t a maximum altitude of approximately 550 kilometers (340 miles) and a distance of approximately 300 kilometers,鈥� Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said.
He said the 鈥渆xtremely high frequency鈥� of Pyongyang鈥檚 weapons tests this year were 鈥渁 threat to the region鈥� and were 鈥渁bsolutely unacceptable.鈥�
The North鈥檚 sabre-rattling comes just four days before South Korea votes for a new president, with the tests seemingly a means of Pyongyang conveying its 鈥渄iscontent鈥� with outgoing dovish president Moon Jae-in, who brokered Kim鈥檚 first summit with Trump, analysts said.
鈥淟ooks like Kim is feeling that Moon did not do much after the Hanoi summit collapsed,鈥� said North Korean studies scholar Ahn Chan-il, referring to the final meeting between Kim and Trump.
Pyongyang has clearly 鈥渄ecided to prioritize their own military agenda regardless of what South Korea thinks,鈥� he added.
Tensions with North Korea are no longer a major issue in South Korean elections, analysts say, with issues including domestic income inequality and youth unemployment top of voters鈥� lists of concerns.
But if Moon鈥檚 ruling Democratic Party loses on Wednesday, it could herald a shift in Seoul鈥檚 North Korea policy.
One of the two frontrunners, dour former prosecutor Yoon Suk-yeol of the opposition People Power Party, has threatened a pre-emptive strike on South Korea鈥檚 nuclear-armed neighbor if needed.
Not Ukraine
Analysts had widely predicted Pyongyang would seek to capitalize on the United States鈥� distraction over Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine with more tests.
Ukraine, which emerged from the Cold War with sizeable Soviet-era nuclear weapons stocks of its own, gave up its arsenal in the 1990s.
鈥淲ith these tests, North Korea seems to be saying North Korea is different from Ukraine, reminding the world that it has its own nuclear weaponry system,鈥� said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.
鈥淚t鈥檚 yet another demand for Washington to abolish the so-called 鈥榟ostile鈥� policies against Pyongyang,鈥� he told AFP.
North Korea last month accused the United States of being the 鈥渞oot cause of the Ukraine crisis鈥� saying in a statement on its foreign ministry鈥檚 website that Washington 鈥渕eddled鈥� in the internal affairs of other countries when it suited them but condemned legitimate 鈥渟elf-defensive measures鈥�.
Domestically, North Korea is preparing to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the birth of late founder Kim Il Sung in April, which experts say Pyongyang could use as an opportunity to carry out a major weapons test.
Recent satellite images analysed by specialist website 38 North suggest that the country may be preparing a military parade to showcase its weapons to mark the key anniversary.
鈥淧yongyang is likely to focus on testing its reconnaissance satellites and ICBMs until April,鈥� said Cheong Seong-chang of the Center for North Korea Studies at the Sejong Institute.