North Korea continues to test missiles, It also includes ballistic and hypersonic, hypotonic. What the North Korean leader wants to achieve through these missile tests is unclear.
This time the missiles are short-range and the sea where they landed is far from the coast of Japan. Yet one such North Korean missile test after another has shaken Japan to some extent.
However, the current exams are different from August 2016. At that time, the Japanese were awakened by the sound of a siren. Because North Korea fired intercontinental ballistic missiles into the Pacific Ocean over Japan without warning. The Japanese consider this to be extreme arrogance.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un seems to be pulling the trigger for now. But that can change if he doesn't get what he wants.
So what does Kim Jong-un want?
Military analysts say recent missile launches mean North Korea is rapidly moving toward an effective nuclear deterrent.
"From my point of view, this is exactly what was supposed to happen," said Professor Kim Dong-yup, a former naval commander in South Korea." I am just happy to be free, because we have reduced the value of North Korean technology. In fact, North Korea is advancing its military capabilities faster than we thought. "
After testing on January 5 and 10, Pyongyang claimed that it had successfully tested a hypersonic missile.
Why is this important?
This means that North Korea is developing technology that could outperform the US and Japan's costly and complex missile defenses across the region.
"It's clear that they want to develop weapons that could complicate missile defense and make it harder for the United States to identify," said Kim, a spokesman for The Center for a New American Century.
Professor Kim Dong-yup agrees, saying, "North Korea really wants to shake up the enemy's missile defense system." Professor Kim says North Korea's main goal is not to attack, but to defend itself and to diversify its capabilities.
Most people who observe North Korea have this idea.
However, in the event of an attack from South Korea or the United States, North Korea still has a long way to go to transform its conventional missile capabilities into effective deterrence. However, the two countries have repeatedly stated that they have no intention of overthrowing or attacking North Korea's current regime.
So why is this small country spending a quarter of its GDP on the military?
Analyst Ankit Panda said it was possible that North Korea did not yet have enough weapons to defend itself.
'Kim Jong-un is suffering from insecurity. I don't think he trusts anyone, including China or Russia. Maybe that's why he wants to increase his capacity so much that we can consider it enough'. Moreover, Pyongyang may have one more goal. That is, perhaps they want the UN sanctions to be lifted and the US administration to be involved in the negotiations.
Although seen in the past, they have tried to attract the attention of the United States by creating a crisis, and still some analysts think so.
"So this is a good sign for me," said Professor Kim Yangjun, a member of South Korea's National Security Advisory Board.
'Kim Jong-un wants to conduct the highest missile test before the peace initiative. He wants to push Joe Biden into serious talks with a full roadmap.'
If so, he will probably be disappointed because Biden is now busy with the Ukraine crisis. Moreover, Biden does not have the same enthusiasm for involvement in North Korea as his predecessor, Donald Trump.
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