North Korean missile test, 1993
Encyclopedia
A North Korean missile test occurred on May 29 and 30, 1993. North Korea
fired a Nodong-1
missile
into the Sea of Japan
(East Sea of Korea)
, from a base in Hwadae County near Wonsan, North Korea. The target was a buoy
floating in the Sea of Japan
. The North Koreans were testing the missile so they could export it to Iran
in return for oil
. Japanese and United States
officials waited a few days before disclosing the launch of the missile. Afterwards, North Korea reaffirmed its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
.
The missile launches were the culmination of several months' planning and bargaining with Iran, and what was suggested to be a plot between Iran and North Korea to develop weapons capable of striking Japan. It began in March 1993, with North Korea receiving several shipments of "special metals" designated for the construction of missile launch pads. Later, a Russia
n report indicated that North Korea was in the market for "missile specialists" in order to turn their missile production into a more profitable venture. Russian officials were further incensed after detaining a group of Russian nuclear physicists and rocket scientists attempting to enter North Korea. North Korea later pledged not to use Russian scientists and technicians, after being threatened with cut diplomatic ties by Russia.
In January of that year, the commander of the Iranian Revolution Guard Corps, Mohsen Rezai, went to Pyongyang
to finalize a 2.7 billion dollar purchase of around 300 Scud missile
s from North Korea. Around the same time, the Iranian delegation came to watch the final Nodong-1 tests and North Korea announced its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It was suspected upon successful testing of the missiles, Iran intended to trade oil for the Nodong missiles, as Iran is a primary contributor of North Korea's oil (over 40%). After successful missile tests, though never proven, it is most likely transactions went through, as Iran later scheduled Nodong-2
tests in the Lut Desert in September.
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
fired a Nodong-1
Nodong-1
The Rodong-1 is a single stage, mobile liquid propellant medium range ballistic missile developed by North Korea...
missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
into the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
(East Sea of Korea)
Sea of Japan naming dispute
The international name for the body of water which is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia, and South Korea is disputed. The Japanese government supports the use of the name "Sea of Japan", while South Korea supports the name "East Sea", and North Korea supports the name "East Sea of Korea"...
, from a base in Hwadae County near Wonsan, North Korea. The target was a buoy
Buoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
floating in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
. The North Koreans were testing the missile so they could export it to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
in return for oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
. Japanese and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
officials waited a few days before disclosing the launch of the missile. Afterwards, North Korea reaffirmed its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to...
.
The missile launches were the culmination of several months' planning and bargaining with Iran, and what was suggested to be a plot between Iran and North Korea to develop weapons capable of striking Japan. It began in March 1993, with North Korea receiving several shipments of "special metals" designated for the construction of missile launch pads. Later, a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n report indicated that North Korea was in the market for "missile specialists" in order to turn their missile production into a more profitable venture. Russian officials were further incensed after detaining a group of Russian nuclear physicists and rocket scientists attempting to enter North Korea. North Korea later pledged not to use Russian scientists and technicians, after being threatened with cut diplomatic ties by Russia.
In January of that year, the commander of the Iranian Revolution Guard Corps, Mohsen Rezai, went to Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
to finalize a 2.7 billion dollar purchase of around 300 Scud missile
Scud
Scud is a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and exported widely to other countries. The term comes from the NATO reporting name SS-1 Scud which was attached to the missile by Western intelligence agencies...
s from North Korea. Around the same time, the Iranian delegation came to watch the final Nodong-1 tests and North Korea announced its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It was suspected upon successful testing of the missiles, Iran intended to trade oil for the Nodong missiles, as Iran is a primary contributor of North Korea's oil (over 40%). After successful missile tests, though never proven, it is most likely transactions went through, as Iran later scheduled Nodong-2
Nodong-2
Rodong-2 is a single stage, mobile liquid propellant medium range ballistic missile developed by North Korea....
tests in the Lut Desert in September.