North Korea tries to avoid the defense shield of the South Korea-US alliance

North Korea successfully test-fired a missile on January 5, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, marking its first show of force this year. Last September, North Korea first announced a similar test of a modern weapon.

Analysts say it will take longer for North Korea to master hypersonic missile technologies, including air control and heat resistance. However, the latest test appears to have security implications far beyond the Korean Peninsula, given the missile's reported range of 700 kilometers.

"Technologically, it is necessary to be cautious when assessing whether North Korea has actually succeeded in developing hypersonic missiles, given that the US has not yet fully deployed such missiles. But the problem here is that hypersonic missiles fly too fast to be stopped by current missile defense systems," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University.

A North Korean missile test. Photo: Yonhap

Some experts have pointed to differences in the warhead shapes of the two missiles, suggesting that the missile tested earlier this week could be an entirely new type or an upgraded version of the Hwasong-8. The earlier missile's warhead looked thinner and sharper, while the latest one looks more like a rounded cone.

"Nuclear force is the only military field that North Korea can rely on to highlight its superiority at this time. While South Korea and the US are looking to strengthen their capabilities, including missile defense capabilities and preemptive strike means, North Korea may prioritize disrupting or avoiding them," said Nam Chang-hee, a professor of international politics at Inha University in South Korea.

Pyongyang is seeking to develop a variety of other formidable weapons, such as submarine-launched ballistic missiles and tactical nuclear weapons, as well as various missile launchers, including railway launchers. “North Korea’s message could be: ‘If you leave it like this, we will continue to develop and diversify our nuclear forces. So take steps to convince us and engage in arms control negotiations,’” said Professor Park of Ewha Womans University.

There is still speculation that North Korea may want arms control talks to simultaneously reduce its nuclear and conventional arsenals with the US instead of denuclearization talks./.