By admin 
That of North Korea expand The ballistic missile program, together with the advancing nuclear weapons project, is a serious and growing threat both to its regional neighbors and to the United States.
That’s why the Trump administration’s quest for a more stable diplomatic relationship, after literally decades of hostilities between the West and North Korea, was such a monumental move.
It is an important North Korean system Hwasong-7also known as the Nodong-1 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).
The Nodong-1 missile gives North Korea the ability to reach and threaten its regional neighbors with both conventional and, likely, nuclear strikes. Nodong-1 could cover all of South Korea and parts of Japan. However, its accuracy remains an important source of debate. Many Western analysts treasure that the likely circling error for this system is one to two miles, meaning this system is unlikely to be as effective against military targets as it would be against larger, softer targets such as the cities of South Korea and parts of Japan.
While these are all estimates made by the West and should be taken with a grain of salt as the intelligence picture of North Korea even less informative for observers than black holes.
North Korea’s Ballistic Missile Threat
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that the overall ballistic missile threat in North Korea has increased. The technology underlying North Korea’s program has improved with each test launch. These launches, in turn, have helped increase North Korea’s overall threat to the United States and its regional partners.
And since 2013, when Pyongyang’s armed forces developed the ability to miniaturize warheads, North Korean ballistic missiles can now reliably carry advanced nuclear weapons.
Regardless, the Nodong is especially useful for Pyongyang as it seeks to exert influence over its regional rivals. The presence of the Nodong system in large quantities allows North Korea’s negotiators to extract greater concessions from their rivals at the negotiating table. Should war ever break out between North Korea and its neighbors, Pyongyang would have significant capability to inflict death and deliberate damage on its enemies with the Nodong missile.
So not only does it provide major diplomatic capital, but the Nodong-1 missile is also a serious strategic advantage for the North Korean military.
As of 2024, most intelligence assessments indicate this there are only 100 Nodong-1 launchers deployed. And since the Nodong-1 was first developed in the mid-1980s, North Korea’s ballistic missile program has truly evolved into a potent and comprehensive regional (and even global) threat. Today, North Korea’s arsenal includes the Hwasong-12, Hwasong-14, Hwasong-15, and Hwasong-17, all of which likely eclipse the capabilities of the Nodong-1 IRBM system.
Still, the Nodong-1 is an important link in the evolution of North Korea’s ballistic missile program.
Furthermore, the Nodong-1 will likely be upgraded over the next decade before Pyongyang ever considers completely removing this system from its arsenal. Moreover, as the new Trump administration gains a foothold, it is likely that the administration will seek to revive its previously good relations with Pyongyang.
A powerful negotiating chip
A key element of the renewed negotiations with North Korea will take place in the domain of arms control. If the hundred or so Nodong-1s are still in service, the Americans and their allies will be forced to focus and negotiate on those systems as opposed to newer ones. So again, the Nodong-1 serves as a useful tool in terms of North Korean diplomacy with the West.
Like many weapons in the North Korean arsenal, the Nodong-1 is derived from older Soviet-era missile technology. In particular the Soviet R-17 Elbrus (also known as “Scud”) missile. The design was adapted by North Korean weapons designers to increase the range and lethality of its Soviet predecessor. Nodong-1 is a single-stage liquid-fuel rocket that uses a unique combination of: asymmetric dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) And AK-27 (nitric acid with nitrogen oxides) for propulsion.
What happens if we misinterpret North Korea policy?
Nodong-1 is approximately 17 meters long and has a diameter of just under 1.5 meters. The range is approximately between 1,200 and 1,500 miles and the payload is approximately 2,600 pounds. Nodong-1 poses a serious threat to its neighbors and the North Koreans should not be underestimated.
The fact that Nodong-1 isn’t even the most advanced ballistic missile in North Korea’s arsenal shows how important arms control talks will be in the new Trump administration — and the price for America’s North Korean policy.
Brandon J. Weicherta Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest, as well as a Senior Fellow at the Center for the National Interest, and a contributor at Popular Mechanics, regularly consults with various government agencies and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and numerous others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His latest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available wherever books are sold. He can be followed on Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
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