North Korea sent a simple message at the military parade last week to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party: Kim Jong Un’s commitment to his nuclear arsenal is unflagging and he puts no stock in accommodating South Korean President Moon Jae-in or his “special relationship” with U.S. President Donald Trump. North Korea is an aggrieved state that wants to be able to unleash mass destruction on neighbors and adversaries. Alarming as that capability appears to be, it is even more troubling given Pyongyang’s disregard for international laws and norms. Kim is showing the world that he considers himself free to act as he likes and attempts to hold him accountable can be met with extraordinary violence.
North Korea’s messenger last week was new military hardware. On display during the grand parade was a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), mobile missile transporters and a massive intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The SLBM and the transporters underscore the regime’s determination to ensure that it has a credible deterrent. Putting missiles to sea or being able to hide them on land ensures that weapons can survive an attack and be available to punish an aggressor.
Ever the showman, Kim left the best for last: A “monster” ICBM closed the parade. The missile trundled through the streets on an 11-axle vehicle, making it one of the largest road-mobile, liquid-fueled ballistic missiles ever made. The Hwasong-15, North Korea’s previous largest ICBM, has a range estimated at 12,800 km, and thus capable of hitting any part of the continental United States. The new missile’s size indicates it is designed to either carry multiple nuclear warheads or penetration aids to confuse radars. Both options are intended to defeat U.S. missile defense systems.