According to official media on Sunday, North Korea has instituted a new national holiday to commemorate the anniversary of its Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile’s successful test launch the previous year.
Analysts refer to the Hwasong-17 as the “monster missile”; on November 18, 2022, Pyongyang is thought to have conducted what is thought to be the first full flight test of the weapon.
The anniversary was declared a holiday at a meeting of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, according to a report released on Sunday by the North’s Korean Central News Agency.
“The establishment of Missile Industry Day marks a special event in our sacred journey of national defence development,” KCNA said.
With the launch, it added, North Korea had “demonstrated to the world the majesty of a world-class nuclear power and the nation with the strongest intercontinental ballistic missile”.
North Korea frequently conducts significant nuclear tests around important holidays. Last week, Seoul’s spy service announced that the nation was completing preparations for a third military reconnaissance satellite launch.
Pyongyang declared it would attempt a third launch in October following a botched second attempt in August, but it was never carried out.
Experts have noted that there is a substantial technological overlap between the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles—which Pyongyang is prohibited from pursuing under numerous UN sanctions—and space launch capabilities.
This year, North Korea has tested more missiles than ever before, defying sanctions from the US, South Korea, and other allies.
In September, Pyongyang enshrined its status as a nuclear power in its constitution, with leader Kim Jong Un calling for more modern atomic weapons to counter perceived threats from the United States.
