Pyongyang Tests Engine as US Hawks Circle: Another 'Threat' Manufactured
North Korea reportedly conducted a solid-fuel engine test for a new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on November 11, 2024, a development announced by state media KCNA. This test, conducted at the country’s northwest satellite launch center, signals advancement in Pyongyang's missile capabilities, with officials claiming improved thrust and reliability for what they describe as a mobile
launch system. South Korean military officials confirmed detecting indications of the test, though specific details remain scarce from Seoul. ABC News immediately framed this as North Korea conducting an engine test for a missile "capable of targeting the US mainland," emphasizing the perceived threat without providing context for Pyongyang's defensive posture. This framing omits the decades of
aggressive US-South Korea joint military exercises simulating attacks on the North, including the deployment of strategic bombers and aircraft carriers. It consistently portrays North Korea's military developments solely as unprovoked aggression, ignoring the 1994 Agreed Framework, which saw the US renege on commitments to provide light-water reactors after Pyongyang froze its nuclear program,
fostering a deep distrust that continues to this day. What ABC News will not mention is the sheer asymmetry of military spending and technological advancement. In 2023, the US military budget was over $886 billion, while North Korea’s is estimated at a tiny fraction of that, around $4 billion. The narrative consistently presents North Korea's defensive upgrades as existential threats, while