The failure of a North Korean missile launch on Wednesday, according to South Korean officials, does not mean the North is done showing its military strength.
The missile fired from the Pyongyang region at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday was the 10th this year, and international assumption is that the North is preparing to launch its largest long-range missile.
The Hwasong-17 is thought to have a range of more over 9,300 miles, which means it could target anywhere in the continental US if launched from the north. The 82-foot weapon has yet to be put to the test.
The North Korean regime, led by dictator Kim Jong Un, is attempting to establish itself as a nuclear state with a modernized arsenal that may make it a threat to the rest of the world.
Nuclear talks between the country and US largely stalled in 2019 over sanctions against the North, and Kim’s ramping up of the country’s weaponry and spy technology is viewed as a move to force concessions from rivals including the US.
In a statement issued by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Wednesday, it was unclear what went wrong with the launch.
According to the Associated Press, which cited specialists, the North tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles in recent launches in February and March, but they were only shot medium-range. There is concern that the North is about to undertake a full-range test of one of its intercontinental missiles.
Kim is also pressing for the launch of the country’s first spy satellite.
The Biden administration has stated that it is willing to meet with Kim, but the North has rebuffed US efforts.
Why Kim hasn’t responded to the effort is unclear.