Seoul, March 14 (Agency) South Korea and the United States believe that North Korea plans to test another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system this week, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported on Monday, citing informed sources. On February 27 and March 5, North Korea test-fired ballistic missiles as part of the reconnaissance satellite project. Seoul and Washington accused Pyongyang of having tested the new Hwasong-17 ICBM under the pretext of developing satellite systems. “Though we can’t say definitively when a missile will be launched, we have been keeping close tabs on the possibility,” an anonymous source in the South Korean government told the news agency.
According to the media, the test launch could take place as early as this week. Since the end of 2017, Pyongyang had maintained a voluntary moratorium on nuclear tests and launches of ICBM systems. However, in January, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un decided to consider the resumption of “all temporarily suspended activities” due to what he described as hostile policy on the part of the US. A number of media and experts regarded this statement as Pyongyang’s intention to stop complying with the moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests amid the stalled dialogue with Washington.