North Korea Launched Another ICBM and Here’s What We Learned

By Daisy Luther

Despite warnings to from the international community to stop, North Korea tested the most powerful ICBM to date last night. The hermit kingdom launched yet another Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) which splashed down in the sea off the coast of Japan.

Kim Jong Un issued a handwritten order for the launch that said:

 “I order a test launch. Carry out on Nov 29 at dawn. Fire it bravely for the Party and the motherland!”

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North Korea seems pleased as punch about the launch, stating that their nuclear state is “complete”:

Pyongyang said in a statement Wednesday local time that the missile flew for 53 minutes before landing in “targeted waters” in the East Sea of Korea and that the missile can be tipped with a “super-large heavy warhead.

“[North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un declared with pride that now we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power,” North Korea said. (source)

What we learned can help us to be better prepared, should things escalate beyond tests.

They can definitely hit any part of the United States

There has been a lot of supposition with previous tests, like the one last July, when it was determined by some experts that they could strike into the US as far as Chicago.  But last night, by the time the missile had splashed down in waters of the Japanese economic zone, General Mattis, the Secretary of Defense warned that they’d proven they “could threaten everywhere in the world.”

Zero Hedge reported:

This would make it the most powerful of the three ICBM’s North Korea has tested so far. Furthermore, the mobile night launch appeared aimed at testing new capabilities and demonstrating that Pyongyang would be able to strike back to any attempt at a preventative strike against the regime.

“The missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea, and traveled about 1,000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan’s economic exclusion zone. We are working with our interagency partners on a more detailed assessment of the launch,” Pentagon spokesman, Col Robert Manning said.

This is concerning for one big reason: according to General Mattis, the North Korean ICBM “went higher, frankly, than any previous” and “North Korea can basically threaten everywhere in the world.” This was confirmed by North Korea missile analyst, Shea Cotton, who cited Allthingsnuclear author David Wright, and who told the BBC that the initial estimates of the ICBM test mean that North Korea can now reach New York and Washington DC. (source)

This was North Korea’s most powerful launch to date.

This most recent test was a different type of ICBM than North Korea has launched previously. Sky News said:

Early estimates put the range, if flattened out from the steeply-lofted trajectory at which it was fired, at around 13,000km (8,100 miles)…

…But this is, once again, progress, with the Kim regime proclaiming a new ICBM to add to its arsenal, which they have named the Hwasong-15 (hwasong means Mars in Korean).

This was also a rare, if not unprecedented night launch (we saw a late night ICBM launch in July), from what appears to be a new site.

Improving their capability to fire from different locations, at different times of the day, increases their chances of being able to get a real missile fuelled and into the sky before it could be detected and attacked. (source)

This image from CNN gives you an idea of the trajectory and path of the test.

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The Guardian reported that this was “the most powerful of the three ICBMs North Korea has tested so far.” and that the trajectory was.” more than ten times higher than the orbit of Nasa’s International Space Station.” That type of altitude, of course, should cause concern about the possibility of an EMP strike, which could be far more deadly in the long-term than a regional nuclear strike.

We may not get much warning.

The most worrisome thing to me was that no one seemed to know where the missile was headed when it was in the air  – at least no one who was telling the rest of us. The trajectory was so high that the destination was immediately not ascertainable – just that it was headed “east.”

This means that we might have very little notice should a strike be headed toward the United States. As soon as I heard about the launch, I contacted my friend in Hawaii, who had heard absolutely nothing about it. Wouldn’t you want to know that something was in the air, headed your way?

In the event of a strike, it is essential that you have a plan ahead of time. (Read this article about preparing for a nuclear attack.) You should have potassium iodide pills on hand, as well as a place to take shelter. (Here’s how to use potassium iodide.) All family members should know what to do and the plan should be able to be enacted rapidly.)

The whole world is pretty unhappy about the test.

South Korea immediately responded with a show of force.

South Korea staged a missile exercise Tuesday aimed at potentially taking out North Korea’s most valuable military assets. It was in response to North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) over the Sea of Japan.

South Korea’s Joint Chief of Staff said its military conducted what it called a “precision strike” missile exercise in immediate response to North Korea’s latest “provocation” in more than two months, according to South Korea’s official Yonhap News Agency. (source)

South Korea entered into discussions with Japan, in which they have made the decision to increase the intensity with which they deal with North Korea.

South Korea’s President Moon Jae In and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed on Wednesday that the two nations could “no longer tolerate” the nuclear and missile provocations from North Korea.

“President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to further intensify their countries’ cooperation to put stronger pressure and sanctions against North Korea, noting they can no longer tolerate North Korea’s threats to security,” Moon’s chief press secretary said, according to Yonhap News.

The leaders expressed “concerns over North Korea’s claim that its nuclear and missile development programs are in their final stages,” and agreed to take steps on cracking down on the regime. (source)

Germany has “sharply condemned” the launch and an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council will be taking place today.

Even Russia, who has previously warned the US not to make the first strike against North Korea, condemned the test.

Russia joined the nations to decry the “provocative step” which “sparks a further rise in tensions.”

“We condemn this launch and hope that all the respective sides will manage to keep calm, which is very necessary to prevent the worst-case scenario on the Korean Peninsula,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. (source)

President Trump has been fairly vague in his response, stating,  “I will only tell you that we will take care of it,” and that it was “a situation that we will handle.”

Will we be able to avoid war with North Korea?

At this point, it seems nearly impossible that this will be settled peacefully. While North Korea does have the right to defend itself against threats, they’ve taken an aggressive tone that cannot end well. It appears that this last test even  antagonized their greatest allies, but it’s still difficult to imagine that Russia, for example, will stand idly by if the United States were to attack preemptively.

With any conflict, it’s important to note that even if there are no battles on American soil, there will be serious economic ramifications. The very best way that you can prepare is to learn to live more frugally, get rid of your debt, and become more self-reliant to provide for your family. (I can help with this! Go here for more information.)

War with North Korea would be far uglier than people imagine. This essay talks about what it might look like. For further information on how to prepare, check out the WW3 series.

• Part 1: Is World War 3 Coming? 18 Preppers Discuss Effects, Shortages, and How to Get Ready
• Part 2: How to Survive World War 3: Prepping for an Off-Shore Conflict
• Part 3: How World War 3 Will Happen: “The citizen will be the last to know.”
• Part 4: How to Survive World War 3: Prepping for a US Mainland Conflict

What are your thoughts on this newest test? Do you think we will be able to avoid a war? Share your opinion in the comments below.