Iranians waffled on their nuclear deterrence now they might pay dearly for it. Hope the worst doesn't come to pass! .
Exactly. It was Kim who understood this.
When Trump threatened that he would not allow the DPRK to create its own intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the United States. Just as in the case of the Middle East, in the Far East the US also has a remote island in the ocean, which is a vital base for working in the region from afar. And if in the case of Iran it is Diego Garcia, then in the case of the DPRK it is the island of Guam.
So, in the year of North Korea's march towards ICBMs, huge efforts were focused on a missile capable of reaching Guam. Firstly, such a missile (with a range of 3500 or more) is a valuable combat missile in its own right and a good basis for developing an entry-level ICBM.
Secondly, even single missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads to Guam would significantly worsen the conditions for conducting a possible operation against the DPRK. Thirdly, the possibility of a preemptive nuclear strike on Guam usually worsens the situation.
So, on April 15, 2017, several launchers with a new, unknown large missile were paraded in the DPRK. In May, after several unsuccessful test launches, the rocket flew successfully. And it also showed, when launched at a normal angle, the real possibility of flying to the island of Guam.
The rocket was made so urgently that in April 2017 alone there were three test launches. All were unsuccessful, but the engineers were quick to make changes. Therefore, already in May everything flew successfully.
Even before the first successful flight, several launchers were prefabricated and paraded.
When the first ICBM Hwasong-14 was tested (July 4, 2017), Pyongyang already had the means to reach Guam. But even after two successful launches of Hwasong-14 missiles in July 2017, the crisis did not end. In the background, the missile, which had been tested only once in May, was urgently sent for production and to the troops. Already in mid-August, the DPRK media published photographs of Kim Jong-un in command of the missile forces, which contained maps of the planned launches of the Hwasong-12 in the waters near Guam.
The DPRK military also officially stated that, in order to calm the United States, Pyongyang could carry out a warning launch of four Hwasong-12 missiles with their warheads falling outside its territorial waters. But only tens of kilometers from the island. Then, in August and September, two launches were carried out. Both were over Japan (the missiles were already flying over the country in neutral space - over 100 km).
In addition, in September, combat training exercises were held, which practically demonstrated the possibility of flying to Guam. Shortly before that, the DPRK detonated another powerful thermonuclear charge, and in November it tested another ICBM, the Hwasong-15.
Its trajectory, when launched at a normal angle, already allowed it to safely hit the main continental territory of the United States. In early 2018, Pyongyang, having achieved the officially announced targets for 2017, took a break. And the crisis subsided. Diplomatic maneuvers began. But at the subsequent military parade in early 2018, six standard Hwasong-12 launchers were already on display.
As you can see, the North Koreans wasted no time in 2017. And they worked at a pace and format that minimized time. Many things were developed not sequentially, but in parallel. And for the sake of speed, the same Hwasong-12 missile system was being developed in the army. And Pyongyang openly sent quite clear signals to its opponents.
As a result, the DPRK built its own ICBM and survived Trump's first term. But even after the creation of longer-range missiles, the Guam-Killer's value did not disappear.
