Only a few days after North Korea has been once again threating of a nuclear attack on the South, another potential risk rises in the region. Today North Korea has fired what is believed to be a KN-11 submarine launched ballistic missile, which flew 500 km towards Japan and entered the country’s air defense identification zone. It is not for the frst time that North Korea has threatend Japan in this way. Shinzo Abe, the Japanese Prime Minister, has already condemned the new attack, saying that it is ‘unforgivable’ and poses a serious threat to the Japanese security.

Experts say that North Korea has improved its ballistic capabilities, especially the SLBM (submarine launched ballistic technology), but it is equally a show of power and search for respect in the region and in the world. This might seem particularly important to the North Korean authorities, as there has been recently rumors of the regime ‘cracking from the inside’ -an allegation made by the South Korean Prime Minister. It is also likely that the missile launch is a response to the US initiative of developing a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea. The US has immediately confirmed that it will defend its allies in the region, Japan and South Korea, if North Korea poses further threats.

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