North Korea: Why are one missile after another flying in the sky in January?

 North Korea has tested four missiles in the past two weeks. But such tests are not uncommon in January.

The North Korean government usually conducts such missile tests ahead of the country's politically important days.

Even when the United States and South Korea conduct joint military exercises, North Korea demonstrates its strength by launching such missiles into the sky.

Ankit Panda works for Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a US think tank. He is an expert on North Korea.

North Korea demands test of hypersonic missile in presence of Kim Jong-un

North Korea says it has tested another hypersonic missile, which was witnessed by its leader Kim Jong-un.

The state-run media said the missile was launched on Tuesday and was able to change its direction before hitting a target about 1,000 kilometers away at sea.

That being said, this is North Korea's third hypersonic missile test.

Hypersonic missiles are a technology that cannot be easily identified. It can evade surveillance longer than a ballistic missile.

Analysts say Mr. Conducting the test in Kim's presence means that the country's technology regarding missiles has improved.

Just days before the latest test, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced plans to bolster his country's defenses.

Last week, six countries, including the United States, issued a joint statement condemning another North Korean missile test and urging it to refrain from "actions that could destabilize the region."

The South Korean military did not initially pay much attention to North Korea's third hypersonic missile test. However, they later said that the test showed that the technology was "better" than the previous ones.

The remarks were made on the South Korean news website Yonhap.

North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency praised the test, saying the hypersonic missile had made "significant improvements in operation" which had been "successfully tested in the final test."

Their report claims that the unmanned missile "climbs" up to 800 km before hitting the target and "spins like a screw" at a further distance of 240 km.

North Korea is expected to test a hypersonic missile for the first time in September 2021.

Why so much concern:

Hypersonic glide missiles are dangerous for a number of reasons.

Unlike ballistic missiles, these missiles do not move in specific super-circular motions, they can evade defenses, and they are difficult to track or identify.

Also, hypersonic missiles can hit targets in a very short time.

Hypersonic missiles can run up to five times faster than sound. This speed is about 6,200 kilometers per hour.

The missile is said to be able to fly at speeds of up to five miles per second, fooling off warning signals from satellites, or even evading an opponent's instrument or missile to intercept it midway.

So these will be very useful for sudden attack.

Of concern about these hypersonic missiles is the possibility of adding powerful explosives or atomic bombs as warheads.

In addition to North Korea, several other countries are trying to build hypersonic missiles, including the United States and China.

The presence of Kim Jong-un

South Korean media quoted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as saying during a missile inspection that his country needed to "increase the number and quality of its strategic military strength."

It is said that after the month of March 2020, Mr. Kim was present during the first such missile test. Analysts say the kind of publicity that is being spread about his presence is also significant.

"Mr. Kim may not have been officially present at the other exams, but the way his presence in the exams is being portrayed in the press is important," said Chad O'Carroll, chief executive of the Korea Risk Group. The group monitors North Korea's activities.