Continuing the discussion on Venezuela, let’s examine the statements from Pyongyang and Seoul, and explore how South Korean and Western experts have applied this scenario to events on the peninsula.

North Korea Condemns and Launches Missiles

The international community was urged to “recognise the seriousness of the current event in Venezuela, which has entailed devastating repercussions for the resilience of the regional structure and international relations, and to naturally step up protests and condemnation against the ingrained acts of the US violating sovereignty.”

Furthermore, on January 4, 2025, be it in response to the South Korean president’s visit to China or to the seizure of Maduro, North Korea launched several ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. They flew approximately 900-1000 km before falling in waters between Japan and Russia. South Korea’s military preliminarily assessed the launched missiles as belonging to the KN-23 family, the notorious “Kimsanders.” Considering their range and trajectory also raises the possibility of them being a hypersonic version of the “Hwasong-11Ma” with a maneuvering warhead.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), these were “drills on launching hypersonic missiles by a leading fire assault sub-unit of the Korean People’s Army (KPA).” The exercises were observed by North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un. Having praised the missile troops, the North Korean leader delivered a speech, noting that “we must continuously upgrade military means, especially offensive weapon systems” and that “our activity of the following kind is clearly aimed at gradually bolstering the nuclear war deterrence. The reason why it is necessary is exemplified by the recent geopolitical crisis and complicated international events.”

This was Pyongyang’s first missile test in 2026, following a ballistic missile launch last November. The launch was promptly, and routinely, condemned: a spokesperson for the ruling Democratic Party labeled it “an illegal act that threatens the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula, a direct violation of the international community’s sanctions resolution against North Korea.” The rhetoric goes just as if it all were under the conservatives, right?

The South Korean reaction........

© New Eastern Outlook