North Korea about to launch long-range missile?

The South Korean Defense Intelligence Agency said today, October 30, that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has completed preparations to launch a long-range missile.

South Korea's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) also noted that North Korea's new missile launch could take place before or after the upcoming US presidential election on November 5, according to Yonhap News Agency.

An intercontinental ballistic missile is set to launch in North Korea in 2022.

"It appears that preparations for a long-range ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) are nearly complete, including the means to launch the missile into space," said two South Korean lawmakers, Lee Seong-kweun and Park Sun-won.

"Preparations for the mobile launcher are complete and have been deployed to a designated area," the DIA said in its assessment of North Korea's missile launch preparations, but said no missiles had yet been mounted on the launcher.

The DIA also said that North Korea's new missile launch could involve an ICBM and was intended to test technology that would allow the warhead to re-enter the atmosphere.

North Korea has conducted many ICBM test launches on steep trajectories so that the warheads fall much shorter than their designed range, partly for safety reasons and to avoid the political fallout of launching missiles deep into the Pacific Ocean, according to Reuters.

But a launch with a flatter, standard trajectory is considered necessary for ICBM development to ensure the warhead is capable of re-entering the atmosphere while maintaining the controllability to hit its intended target.

There is currently no information about North Korea's reaction to the above assessment by the South Korean side.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trieu-tien-sap-phong-ten-lua-tam-xa-185241030170841794.htm