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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversees preparations for the launch of the Hwasong-12 IRBM on the morning of Aug. 29 in this image from the North Korean Central Television. (Yonhap News)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was on site to personally oversee the launch of the Hwasong-12 missile, the North Korean media reported on Aug. 30. This confirms that the missile that flew through Japanese air space and fell into the waters of the northern Pacific Ocean the day before was the Hwasong-12.

Kim “provided on-the-spot guidance of a launch drill for an intermediate-range strategic ballistic missile,” North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. “The drill involved the Hwasong-12 intermediate range strategic ballistic missile and Hwasong artillery units from the Korean People’s Army Strategic Force, which is responsible for striking bases of the invasion forces of the American Empire in the Pacific theater of operations in the event of a crisis.”

This was the “first launch exercise in the capital of our country,” the KCNA said, adding that the missile fell “into the northern Pacific Ocean after flying above Oshima Peninsula and Cape Erimo on the Japanese island of Hokkaido.” This coincides with the announcement made by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff the previous day that “North Korea launched a ballistic missile in the vicinity of Sunan, near Pyongyang, which flew for 2,700 km across Japan and into the northern Pacific Ocean.” The Hwasong-12 is believed to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a range of 4,500 to 5,000 km.

The KCNA quoted Kim as describing this missile launch as “a significant prelude for countering Guam, which is an advance point for invasion.” Kim also reportedly gave instructions for carrying out “many ballistic rocket launch exercises in the future targeting the Pacific Ocean.” This is being taken as a notice that there will be more launches in the future.

Kim was also quoted as saying that this was “the first phase of stern countermeasures against the Ulchi-Freedom Guardian joint military exercises” and that he would “keep an eye on American words and actions and decide on subsequent action accordingly.” Along with this, North Korea’s Korean Central Television released photographs and a video (1 minute and 35 seconds in length) showing the launch of the Hwasong-12 and what happened before and after it, which Kim was observing.

In related news, US President Donald Trump posted on Twitter on Aug. 30 that “talking [with North Korea] is not the answer.” The full tweet that he posted one day after North Korea fired a ballistic missile that passed through Japanese air space is as follows: “The US has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!”

In a White House statement released on Aug. 29, the day that North Korea launched the ballistic missile, Trump said that “all options are on the table” when it comes to North Korea, reflecting the US’s current position of “maximum pressure and engagement,” but he shifted to a negative stance on dialogue on Twitter just one day later.

By Park Byong-su, senior staff writer

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