(ConservativeHub.com) – The growing number of nuclear weapons in our world frightens many people, as various countries try to dissuade others from continuing to develop the deadly technology. However, countries like Iran and North Korea continue pushing forward to enhance their nuclear programs, and the latter just revealed their latest success in this arena.
North Korea Launches Its Second Hypersonic Missile
On Wednesday, January 5, North Korea successfully test launched a hypersonic missile. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the missile hit a target 435 miles away while traveling over five times the speed of sound in winter weather conditions. This test is the second launch following North Korea’s first one last September.
The KCNA dispatch described the missile as “modernizing” and “strategic”, making most experts believe it is being developed to carry nuclear weapons. However, experts have also pointed out that both missiles have different shapes, likely showing North Korea is testing a variety of options or potentially developing two different missiles.
The World Reacts to North Korean Aggression
Shortly after the missile launch, the US military emphasized “the destabilizing impact” it could have on the world. Meanwhile, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called it “truly regrettable” that North Korea continues to test these missiles. He noted that his nation “will strengthen warning and surveillance more than ever.”
South Korea raised specific concerns about the timing of the launch, as it will host presidential elections on March 9 and China is preparing to host the Winter Olympics in February. However, with China as an ally to North Korea, the communist party simply said that “all parties concerned should keep in mind the big picture (and) be cautious with their words and actions.”
Meanwhile, Nations Pledge to Avoid Nuclear War
North Korea’s missile launch came just after France, China, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States made a joint statement on January 3 that the use of nuclear weapons could have “far-reaching consequences” and they should only “serve defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war.”
This incredibly rare statement came amid multiple points of tension between these nations, such as the Russian military build-up on the Ukrainian border and the threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. However, North Korea clearly did not join this statement, and analysts say this is an indication it has no plans after its second hypersonic missile launch.
While this news may be frightening to some, the United States and other western nations are typically ahead of the game in nuclear engineering and defense strategies. Can Biden force North Korea to rein in its nuclear weapon program soon before additional tests or threats take shape?
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