North Korea Boasts Of Testing Missiles That Can Strike US Mainland

Days after North Korea’s Kim Jong Un was featured in the country’s latest propaganda video on a white horse prancing around in a forest and on a beach, he’s issued a new threat, saying advanced missile technology possessed by Pyongyang will “shake the world.”

The statement was issued Tuesday through the DPRK’s Foreign Ministry. It said according to Reuters: “In today’s world where many countries waste time dealing with the United States with submission and blind obedience, there’s only our country on this planet that can shake the world by firing a missile with the U.S. mainland in its range.” 

Effectively, Pyongyang says it has the capability of launching a long-range missile to strike the US mainland. “There are more than 200 countries in the world, but only a few have hydrogen bombs, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and hypersonic missiles,” the statement continued.

The specific missile in question is believed to be the Hwasong-15, unveiled as under development starting in 2017, though it’s thought to not have been tested yet. The Hwasong-15 is widely acknowledged as the north’s longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

However, there’s also widespread speculation that North Korea could be greatly advancing its hypersonic glide vehicle capabilities, after the Pentagon was reportedly caught off guard by alleged successful tests in the late summer of last year, though this is uncertain. 

Amid stalled engagement with either the US or South Korea on nuclear talks, and a near compete lack of communication between Washington and Pyongyang since the rare, in-person summits with Kim during the Trump administration, North Korea started the year by flexing its missile capabilities. 

.@DPRK_News has put out a bizarre video of Kim Jong Un riding a white horse. pic.twitter.com/AXviGPkTeb

— Jonathan Franks (@jonfranks) February 4, 2022

In January alone it launched no less than seven missiles during a series of tests. The tests purportedly included another hypersonic glide projectile, as well as the intermediate-range ballistic missile Hwasong-12.