North Korea Tests Record Number of Missiles This Month
2022-01-28
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1The South Korean military said that North Korea launched two more missiles Thursday.
2The new tests make this January the busiest month ever for North Korean missile tests.
3The report said the North launched what seemed to be two short-distance ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast around 8 a.m. local time.
4South Korea said the missiles traveled about 190 kilometers at a height of 20 kilometers near Hamhung, a city on North Korea's east coast.
5So far this month, North Korea has tested missiles six times, firing a total of at least 10 missiles into the sea.
6Observers say that is the most North Korean missile launches in a single month.
7The total also includes low-flying cruise missiles.
8North Korea's intense period of missile tests appears, at least partly, aimed at pressuring the United States and South Korea.
9The two countries have called for the North to return to talks on its banned nuclear weapons program.
10Mark Lambert is U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Japan and Korea.
11He said Wednesday the United States will "go anywhere" and "talk about anything" with North Korea.
12"We have to have a serious discussion about the denuclearization of North Korea, and if North Korea is willing to do that, all sorts of promising things can happen," Lambert said.
13North Korea has refused to take part in talks.
14The country has said the United States should first make changes to its military and economic policies.
15Leif-Eric Easley is an associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.
16He has offered some possible reasons for the tests.
17Easley said the North Korean government is developing many different "offensive weapons despite limited resources" and serious economic problems.
18He added that some of the North Korean tests are part of an effort to develop new abilities, especially for avoiding missile defense systems.
19Other launches are meant to show that the country is ready to use the missiles it already has, Easley said.
20Earlier this week, North Korea launched two cruise missiles.
21It has also carried out two tests of what it described as a hypersonic missile.
22The North has launched two ballistic missiles from a train and fired two short-distance guided missiles from an airport in Pyongyang.
23All these tests took place in January.
24The U.S. State Department on Wednesday condemned the launches.
25It said they violate several United Nations Security Council resolutions.
26The State Department also said the launches threaten North Korea's neighbors and the international community.
27Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the tests "very regrettable."
28South Korea's National Security Council also expressed strong regret, saying the launches go against peace and stability in the area.
29Earlier this month, the U.S. increased its restrictions against North Korea.
30Financial restrictions were placed on five North Koreans the United States accused of helping to buy supplies for North Korea's weapons programs.
31I'm Jill Robbins.
1The South Korean military said that North Korea launched two more missiles Thursday. The new tests make this January the busiest month ever for North Korean missile tests. 2The report said the North launched what seemed to be two short-distance ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast around 8 a.m. local time. 3South Korea said the missiles traveled about 190 kilometers at a height of 20 kilometers near Hamhung, a city on North Korea's east coast. 4So far this month, North Korea has tested missiles six times, firing a total of at least 10 missiles into the sea. Observers say that is the most North Korean missile launches in a single month. The total also includes low-flying cruise missiles. 5North Korea's intense period of missile tests appears, at least partly, aimed at pressuring the United States and South Korea. The two countries have called for the North to return to talks on its banned nuclear weapons program. 6U.S. will go anywhere 7Mark Lambert is U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Japan and Korea. He said Wednesday the United States will "go anywhere" and "talk about anything" with North Korea. 8"We have to have a serious discussion about the denuclearization of North Korea, and if North Korea is willing to do that, all sorts of promising things can happen," Lambert said. 9North Korea has refused to take part in talks. The country has said the United States should first make changes to its military and economic policies. 10Leif-Eric Easley is an associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. He has offered some possible reasons for the tests. 11Easley said the North Korean government is developing many different "offensive weapons despite limited resources" and serious economic problems. He added that some of the North Korean tests are part of an effort to develop new abilities, especially for avoiding missile defense systems. Other launches are meant to show that the country is ready to use the missiles it already has, Easley said. 12Faster-than sound missiles 13Earlier this week, North Korea launched two cruise missiles. It has also carried out two tests of what it described as a hypersonic missile. The North has launched two ballistic missiles from a train and fired two short-distance guided missiles from an airport in Pyongyang. All these tests took place in January. 14The U.S. State Department on Wednesday condemned the launches. It said they violate several United Nations Security Council resolutions. The State Department also said the launches threaten North Korea's neighbors and the international community. 15Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the tests "very regrettable." South Korea's National Security Council also expressed strong regret, saying the launches go against peace and stability in the area. 16Earlier this month, the U.S. increased its restrictions against North Korea. Financial restrictions were placed on five North Koreans the United States accused of helping to buy supplies for North Korea's weapons programs. 17I'm Jill Robbins. 18William Gallo reported on this story for VOA News. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English. 19___________________________________________________________ 20Words in This Story 21ballistic missile - n. a weapon that is shot through the sky over a great distance and then falls to the ground 22cruise missile - n. a large military weapon that flies close to the ground and is directed to a specific place 23hypersonic - adj. relating to speeds of more than five times the speed of sound 24despite - prep. without being prevented by (something) - used to say that something happens or is true even though there is something that might prevent it from happening or being true 25stability - n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change 26What do you think of North Korea's recent missile tests? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.