Government “Criticizes North Korea’s Designation of ‘Missile Industry Day’…Keep a Close Eye on Possible Provocations” (Summary)

On November 18, 2022, under the guidance of Chairman Kim Jong-un, North Korea test-fired a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-17. / Yonhap News

The government criticized North Korea for designating November 18th as ‘Missile Industry Day’ to commemorate the successful final test launch of the ‘Hwasong-17’, expressing “disappointment and resentment”.

Koo Byung-sam, a spokesman for the Ministry of Unification, said in a regular briefing on the 6th, “It is blatantly violating international norms and threatening not only South Korea but also the entire international community.”

He also stated, “For reference, North Korea marked November 29, 2021, as ‘Rocket Industry Day’ on the calendar, but there were no special events and it disappeared without any explanation from the following year. Therefore, we will not prejudge North Korea’s intention to designate Missile Industry Day and will watch future related trends.”

In response to a reporter’s question about the possibility of his daughter ‘Joo-ae’ being designated as a successor, Spokesman Koo said, “We will watch the future trends.”

In the meantime, the Joint Chiefs of Staff speculated that North Korea might launch the third military reconnaissance satellite on November 18th, the date designated by North Korea.

Lee Sung-jun, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Public Affairs Office, said in response to a related inquiry, “The South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are continuously tracking and monitoring various potential provocations by North Korea, including the third launch of a space launch vehicle claimed by North Korea, in close cooperation.”

He also revealed, “North Korea has designated several anniversaries under the name ‘Industry Day’, and we are also considering such anniversaries.”

On the previous day (5th), North Korea established November 18, 2022, the day the Hwasong-17 was launched, as ‘Missile Industry Day’. According to the Korean Central News Agency at the time, the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly of North Korea held an executive meeting and unanimously adopted the issue of establishing Missile Industry Day, among other agenda items.

November 18th, which North Korea designated as a commemorative day this time, is the day when North Korea fired at a high angle to reduce the flight distance of the ICBM last year, and it has the capability to strike the entire mainland of the U.S. The Hwasong-17, which first appeared at the military parade celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party on October 10, 2020, is the largest ICBM in existence and is also known as the ‘Monster ICBM’.

Experts argue that North Korea’s designation of the commemorative day seems to be an attempt to continuously issue the delay of the reconnaissance satellite launch last month.

Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies said, “The Kim Jong-un regime is trying to continuously issue the development of nuclear and missiles through the card of establishing Missile Industry Day, which includes the legitimacy of possessing nuclear and missile, the extinguishing of critical public opinion on the delay of the reconnaissance satellite launch announced in October, and the retaliatory nature following our military’s announcement of the independent reconnaissance satellite launch.”