North Korea recently released a propaganda video that shows the destruction of Washington D.C. after being hit by a missile. Meanwhile, the question that remains is whether the United States is prepared.
The 4-minute video titled “Last Chance” shows a nuclear missile going up in the sky then landing in Washington D.C. and demolishing the nation’s capital. It also shows the U.S. Capitol building breaking in half. The video ends with the American flag in flames.
The clip, which has cheery music in the background, shows the history of the relationship between Korea and the United States, including the Korean War, the seizing of the U.S. spy ship Pueblo in 1968, and the 1990’s crisis on North Korea’s nuclear program. It also shows footage of American soldiers getting caught by the Korean military.
Adm. William Gortney, head of U.S. Northern Command, recently told Congress that the United States needs “more capable forces and broader options.”
Another worrying factor is a long-range missile under development in North Korea known as the KN-08. A recent report by the Pentagon said that KN-08 has a range of more than 3,400 miles, putting it into the category of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
Gortney said that the missile has “profound implications,” especially if it is posted as a road-mobile weapon, meaning it could be moved and launched from vehicles that make it less vulnerable to detection.
That would also help it avoid or confound traditional U.S. pre-launch warning systems.
Gortney said North Korea may have found out a way to make a nuclear warhead small enough to fit atop a KN-08 missile.
“While the KN-08 remains untested, modeling suggests it could deliver a nuclear [weapon] to much of the continental United States,” Gortney told a Senate panel on March 10.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama is set to address 50 world leaders in Washington this week for a nuclear security summit. Obama previously said that North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear and missile programs “increasingly imperils the United States.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
