North Korea has established a holiday to mark the anniversary of the launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last year, state news agency KCNA announced on Sunday.
Pyongyang conducted what is believed to be the first full flight test of the Hwasong-17, dubbed a “monster missile” by military analysts, on November 18, 2022.
The anniversary was designated as a public holiday during a meeting of the Supreme People’s Assembly (parliament), KCNA reported.
“The establishment of Missile Industry Day marks a special event in our sacred journey of national defense development,” he added.
With the launch, North Korea “showed the world the excellence of a world-class nuclear power and the nation possessing the most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile,” the agency said.
North Korea regularly conducts weapons tests on holidays, and South Korea’s National Information Service (NIS) said last week that the country was preparing to launch a third military reconnaissance satellite.
After the second attempt failed in August, Pyongyang said it would launch a third launch in October, but this never materialized.
Source: DN
