[ Yet again, imperialist media is up in arms about an alleged weapons test by North Korea (the DPRK). The test comes as the US, which killed upwards of 20% of the northern Korean population during the Korean War, and the South Korean government, which the DPRK is still officially at war with, continue to conduct large-scale military exercises. While there are legitimate criticisms that could be made of the DPRK, and regardless of any debates over whether or not it is socialist, in a world dominated by nuclear-armed imperialism the DPRK has every right to preserve its sovereignty with a nuclear deterrent [1] [2] [3]. Thus far, the United States is the only country to have actually used its nuclear weapons in combat. Specifically, the U.S. used them on Hiroshima and Nagasaki where the power and devastation of their highly advanced nuclear weapons system was demonstrated. Principled communists are principled anti-imperialists — we show critical support for countries of the Proletarian “Third” World, even those which aren’t socialist, when it comes to self-determination and building the capacity to defend themselves against imperialist threats. — Isaac ]
North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile into sea
25 September 2022
BBC
North Korea has fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast, its first known test since June, South Korean military officials have said.
It came after a US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea to participate in joint drills, and ahead of a planned visit by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Seoul said the launch was an “act of grave provocation”.
The UN prohibits North Korea from ballistic and nuclear weapons tests.
South Korea’s military said it detected a short range missile fired at just before 07:00 local time (23:00 GMT) close to Taechon, more than 100 km (60 miles) north of Pyongyang. It said it flew about 600 km at an altitude of 60 km.
“Our military maintains a full readiness posture and is closely cooperating with the US while strengthening surveillance and vigilance,” it said in a statement.
Japan’s coast guard confirmed the launch, warning ships to “be vigilant”. Tokyo’s defence minister Yasukazu Hamada said the missile reached a maximum altitude of around 50 km, falling in waters off North Korea’s eastern coast, and outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
“It’s North Korea’s way of showing defiance of the [US] alliance,” Soo Kim, an analyst at the Rand Corporation, told AFP.
The nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan docked in the southern port city of Busan on Friday, to take part in joint drills off South Korea’s east coast. The exercises are for the “sake of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula”, according to the South Korean navy.
Ms Harris will visit South Korea in the coming days as part of a trip to the region that will include the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have spiked in the past year, with Pyongyang firing a number of ballistic missiles.
South Korea’s President, Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, has promised a tougher stance on North Korea and indicated closer ties with the US.
Earlier this month, North Korea passed a law declaring itself to be a nuclear weapons state, with leader Kim Jong-un ruling out the possibility of talks on denuclearisation. Despite widespread sanctions, Pyongyang conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017.
Original source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63023889 (BBC)
[1]: https://llco.org/on-the-recent-criticisms-of-northern-koreas-atomic-tests/
[2]: https://new-power.org/2017/07/28/on-the-situation-in-korea/#more-4244
[3]: https://llco.org/the-dprk-nuclear-weapons-and-morality/
NEW POWER 
Leave a comment