North Korea conducted its first missile test in months on Wednesday, firing multiple short-range ballistic missiles just one week before President Donald Trump arrived in South Korea for a major economic summit. Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff immediately confirmed the launch, identifying the projectiles as SRBMs detected early Wednesday morning south of the capital, Pyongyang.
However, military officials calculated that the missiles traveled approximately 350 kilometers, marking the first significant weapons test since the inauguration of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in June.
Asserting Presence Ahead of Summit
Analysts view the timing of the launch as a deliberate geopolitical statement directed toward Washington and Seoul ahead of the important Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC). Consequently, Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha Womans University, stated that Kim Jong Un purposefully asserts his regime’s power during a major event hosted by the South, repeating a familiar, aggressive pattern.
The North Korean leader also recently unveiled the Hwasong-20, which state media calls its “most powerful” intercontinental ballistic missile, demonstrating expanding technological capabilities. Furthermore, Kim oversaw the successful ninth and final test of a new solid-fuel engine in September, suggesting an imminent, full test-fire of the new long-range ICBM is now likely forthcoming.
Demand for Denuclearization Stalls Talks
President Trump previously expressed hopes for another meeting with Kim Jong Un, continuing the relationship established during his first term with several high-profile summits. However, the American demand that Pyongyang completely relinquish its nuclear arsenal remains the long-standing critical obstacle preventing any diplomatic progress between the two nations.
In September, Kim admitted he held “fond memories” of those past talks, but firmly stated that the US must first drop its “delusional obsession” with denuclearization. Ultimately, North Korea, which currently faces widespread UN sanctions, continues reinforcing its weapons programs while strengthening key diplomatic ties with both China and Russia.
