North Korea: How many missiles has Kim Jong-un launched?
SINCE assuming power in 2011, Kim Jong-un has been on a missile and nuclear mission, throwing everything at achieving one goal.
KIM Jong-un has fired more missiles this year than his father did in his entire lifetime.
With 19 launches under his belt so far, Kim has already matched his own record for one year set in 2014 — and with no sign of slowing down.
North Korea once again sparked global condemnation after firing a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan on Friday in response to a fresh round of UN sanctions over its sixth nuclear test.
The missile took a similar trajectory to a weapon fired over Japan last month, and flew about 3700km, reaching an altitude of about 770km.
The launch was also Pyongyang’s furthest-ever missile flight and follows the secretive state claiming it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb on August 29.
Research associate at the James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies, Shea Cotton, tweeted Kim’s test on Friday was the 19th for this year.
In comparison, his father Kim Jong-il conducted 16 over his entire tenure, and his grandfather Kim Il-sung launched 15, Quartz reported.
With 85 missile launches to date, the current leader has almost tripled the amount of missile tests or launches of his father and grandfather combined.
Number of DPRK missile tests by this day for past 4 years:
— Shea Cotton (@Shea_Cotton) September 14, 2017
2014: 19
2015: 13
2016: 22
2017: 19
This is the 19th North Korean ballistic missile launch of 2017, and their first since their H-bomb test. https://t.co/pstuqS9gKP
— Shea Cotton (@Shea_Cotton) September 14, 2017
Dr Euan Graham, International Security Program director at the Lowy Institute, said it was clear Kim Jong-un liked everything associated with the country’s current missile program.
Dr Graham said while Kim Jong-un’s grandfather set the wheels in motion with the country’s missile program, the current North Korean leader is the one “throwing everything at it”.
He also pointed out he doubted the program would have got where it is today if Kim Jong-un’s older half-brother was alive and in power.
“If Kim Jong-nam succeeded his father in 2011, would the nuclear program be as strong as it is today? I have a very strong sense the answer is no,” Dr Graham said.
1. North Korea counterfactual needs to be asked: if Kim Jong Nam became leader in 2011 would nuke prog be where it's now? Strongly doubt it.
— Euan Graham (@graham_euan) September 16, 2017
2. KJU was selected over primogeniture for a reason. KJU hasn't done bad on economy, but nukes/missiles are his thing. KJN wasn't interested
— Euan Graham (@graham_euan) September 16, 2017
3. "Regime paranoia" is a cop-out explanation. KJU fast-tracked nuke program partly for internal reasons. KJN could've taken different path.
— Euan Graham (@graham_euan) September 16, 2017
Pointing out the eldest Kim sibling simply wasn’t interested in missiles, Dr Graham told news.com.au Kim Jong-un’s approach was very different.
Dr Graham also said there was a reason the third son of Kim Jong-il was selected to rule and Kim Jong-un had fast-tracked the program, even making it part of the country’s official constitution.
“Chinese academics have said part of the reason China doesn’t look too fondly on Kim is he seems to get off on this sort of stuff,” Dr Graham said.
“He has taken his grandfather’s nuclear ambitions and legacy and made it a constitutional goal.
“Once Kim took over he tied himself to his missile and nuclear program as a form of domestic legitimacy.”
Dr Graham said Kim was also using timing to his advantage with a new administration in Seoul and Washington still carving out policies in regards to North Korea.
While both elections were predictable, a left-wing leader in Seoul and the election of Donald Trump wasn’t and the novice administrations were still finding their feet with the North.
“The US doesn’t have a policy in place and this is important because it provided North Korea with a window of opportunity to control the game,” he said.
‘ROCKET MAN’ KIM
If the US President is impressed by Kim’s track record he certainly isn’t showing it.
In fact, Donald Trump has taunted Kim regarding his missile launches and nuclear ambitions in a tweet nicknaming him the Rocket Man.
I spoke with President Moon of South Korea last night. Asked him how Rocket Man is doing. Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 17, 2017
Mr Trump on Saturday spoke with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in, pledging joint “steps to strengthen deterrence and defence capabilities and to maximise economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea.”
Mr Trump is also set to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York for the first time tomorrow where he is expected to focus on North Korea and Iran.
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