Op-Ed: North Korea plans more nuclear and ballistic missile tests

North Korea plans to conduct more nuclear and ballistic missile testing to intimidate Washington and Seoul. North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs are now a direct threat to South Korea and United States of America.

North Korea plans to carry out another new nuclear test and more long-range ballistic missile launches, all of which is a part of a new phase of confrontation with the United States of America and South Korea, according to CNN, the Telegraph, and Reuters. North Korea is equipped with the Taepo Dong 2 missile. This weapon system is an intermediate and intercontinental-range, surface-based, liquid-propellant ballistic missile. The missile has three liquid-propellant stages, or two liquid stages and a solid third stage. The missile has a length of 16.3 meters, a body diameter of 2.4 meters, and has a total weight of 53,000 kilograms. The first stage has four motors in a cluster, and it is very similar to the No Dong 2 assembly. Likewise, the second stage utilizes a liquid propellant and is based on the No Dong 1 or No Dong 2 missile systems. The second stage has a length of 6.8 meters, a diameter of 1.4 meters, and a weight of 6,000 kilograms. The third stage is thought to be 5.3 meters in length and 2,600 kilograms in weight, according to Missile Threat news. The re-entry vehicle (RV) is approximately 2.75 meters in length and is 1,000 to 1,500 kilograms in weight. The warhead can be nuclear, biological, chemical, or HE. According to some defense analysts, the Taepo Dong 2 possesses a nuclear warhead. The range is estimated in between 4000 and 8000 kilometers. The missile’s accuracy is relatively poor. Easily equipped with a nuclear weapon, this ballistic missile is the first direct threat to the United States of America from North Korea. This weapon will become a major income generator for export to Middles Eastern countries and elsewhere, according to Missile Threat news. Analysis North Korea is building long range missiles that can reach the West Coast of the United States of America. It has nuclear weapons and it is working hard to fit them on its advance Taepo Dong 2 missiles. North Korea wants to destroy America and it is making that war declaration known worldwide. If North Korea employs one nuclear explosion high over the West Coast, it would send out an EMP wave and destroy all electronics to the Rocky Mountains area. North Korea could conduct a surprise attack by launching nuclear missile strikes on major cities like Los Angeles, San Fransisco, Portland, and Seattle because these are soft target regions. America was caught flat-footed before on 7 December 1941, it can happen again with nuclear missiles. North Korea is very similar to Iran in that both are determined to deploy nuclear weapons to destroy America. No matter what sanctions are placed on both these nations, it appears that nothing can stop them. North Korea is willing to starve its population to build the missiles and nuclear weapons to attack America. Iran is doing the same thing because it seeks to employ deadly nuclear weapons against Israel and America.