North Korea’s Daily Double

Real or fake? A KN-08 IRBM TEL in April 2012

North Korea may have been signaling to the U.S. and its allies that it would test a missile if additional sanctions were put in place following its nuclear test 

Less than a week after Pyongyang defied the international community with a third nuclear blast South Korean sources allege that one day prior to the blast and despite increased scrutiny, North Korea tested a long-range missile engine. 

Quoting unnamed South Korean officials, Yonhap News Agency reported on February 17th that Pyongyang had carried out a combustion testing of the engines for the intermediate-range KN-08 missile at the Dongchang-ri launch site on February 11th, with the aim of extending the range of the missile beyond 5,000 km. Military sources said the engines were intended for a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). 

My article, published today in The Diplomat, continues here.