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South Korea says the North may launch ballistic missile before year-end NHK

The South Korean military says North Korea may launch a ballistic missile around the time of an important meeting of the ruling Workers' Party scheduled to be held by the end of the year.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Monday it had confirmed signs that North Korea is producing and moving solid-fuel ballistic missiles.

The military also said the North may launch an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile before or after the meeting of the ruling party's Central Committee.

It added that North Korea will take into consideration domestic and international political events when timing the launch, including the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president next month.

The military suggested North Korea's planned launch of three military reconnaissance satellites is unlikely to take place this year, citing slow preparations.

As for next year, it warned that North Korea will make various provocations, such as launching intercontinental ballistic missiles and conducting nuclear tests to build bargaining power with the United States. It stressed the importance of cooperation between the US and South Korea.

The military also said it had confirmed an estimate for the number of casualties among North Korean soldiers sent to Russia at around 1,100 and that Pyongyang is preparing to rotate or increase the number of personnel.

The military said it had also confirmed that North Korea is trying to produce suicide drones to support Russia.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly visited a suicide drone factory last month.
Summary
North Korea may launch a ballistic missile around its ruling party meeting, possibly an intermediate-range hypersonic one. The Joint Chiefs of Staff has confirmed signs of solid-fuel ballistic missile production and movement. Launch timing is influenced by domestic and international events,
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ID: 7e0d4bae-e891-40e3-8089-ad3805451b44

Category ID: nhk

URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20241223_12/

Date: Dec. 23, 2024

Created: 2024/12/24 07:00

Updated: 2025/12/08 07:39

Last Read: 2024/12/24 10:08