Why is North Korea testing so many missiles? – NKNews Podcast Ep. 220

North Korea News Podcast

North Korea rang in the lunar new year with a dramatic fireworks display this week, testing a ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam in its longest-range launch since 2017. The firing of the Hwasong-12 into the East Sea capped a busy January in which Pyongyang set a new record by conducting seven missile tests in a single calendar month — raising alarm in Seoul and Washington. This week, the NK News team and international security expert Ankit Panda team up to examine this sudden barrage of testing and what it all means. In a wide-ranging discussion also available to watch on YouTube, they explore the domestic and external factors driving these tests, political reactions from South Korea and the U.S., technical details about the weapons themselves and more. Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) is a Stanton senior fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, as well as a regular contributor to NK Pro. This week’s episode also features the following members of the NK News team: Founder Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl), Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) and Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.