6 October 2022

What is the meaning of North Korea’s nuclear opportunism?

With the West distracted by the war in Ukraine, Kim Jong Un may have decided now is the time to press ahead with his weapons programme.

By Katie Stallard

People watching the news in Tokyo after Kim Jong Un launched his latest missile test, demonstrating a range that could have hit the US island of Guam. Photo by Richard A Brooks/AFP via Getty Images

This piece has been updated in light of recent developments. On 6 October, North Korea fired another two ballistic missiles into the waters off the Korean Peninsula, its sixth such weapons test in less than two weeks.

For the first time in five years North Korea has fired a ballistic missile over Japan. At around 7:30am today (4 October) sirens sounded across several Japanese prefectures and emergency alerts on mobile phones and local radio stations urged residents to take shelter. “North Korea appears to have launched a missile,” the message said. “Please evacuate into buildings or underground.”