North Korea fired an "unidentified projectile" on Wednesday (03/16/2022) which apparently failed miserably shortly after launch. The South Korean military said this after Japanese media reported on the alleged missile launch by North Korea which has nuclear weapons.
The launch came after the United States and South Korea warned that North Korea may be preparing to test an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at full range for the first time since 2017.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement, the projectile was fired from an airfield outside the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.
"Presumably failed immediately after launch," the statement said.
A source at Japan's Ministry of Defense called the projectile a potential ballistic missile, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported.
The airfield has been the site of several recent launches, including those on 27 February and 5 March. North Korea said the test was to develop a reconnaissance satellite component and did not identify what rocket it was using. However, Seoul and Washington said it was a test run of the new ICBM system.
Reuters reported that North Korea had fired missiles at an unprecedented frequency this year, conducting its ninth weapons test on March 5, drawing condemnation from the United States, South Korea and Japan.
According to US forces in Asia, on Tuesday (3/15/2022) The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln led military exercises in the Yellow Sea, and air defense artillery at the Osan air base in South Korea intensified drills in response to North Korea's increased missile activity.
The new ICBM system, the Hwasong-17, was unveiled at a military parade in 2020 and reappeared at a defense exhibition in October 2021.
The February 27 and March 5 launches did not indicate the missile's full range, and analysts say North Korea may only use one stage of the missile or adjust its fuel volume to fly at lower altitudes.
The Hwasong-17 will be North Korea's largest ICBM, and the government appears to be restoring several tunnels at its closed nuclear test site, US and South Korean officials said last week.
North Korea has not tested an ICBM or nuclear bomb since 2017, but has said it could resume testing as denuclearization talks with the United States have stalled.
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