Why is North Korea's state media silent on recent missile launches?

This photo, released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Oct. 20, shows a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) being fired in waters off the east coast the previous day. Yonhap

By Kang Seung-woo

Despite launching two ballistic missiles within less than a week, North Korea has remained quiet on the launches, raising questions over the silence.

Diplomatic observers say the absence of reporting on the launches in the North Korean media was due to the Kim Jong-un regime's plan to promote the provocations as a routine military action, as well as China's desire to prevent tensions from growing on the Korean Peninsula, rather than speculation that the launches ended in failure.

According to the South Korean military, North Korea fired what was believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Sunan area in Pyongyang, Wednesday, followed by the launch of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the waters off the North's eastern coastal city of Sinpo, the North's main submarine shipyard, Saturday.

However, the reclusive state's official news agency and other state media outlets have not reported the launches, seen as its latest saber-rattling ahead of the inauguration of South Korea's incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Usually, the Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang's official mouthpiece, usually begins its morning news cycle with reports on major events that happened the previous day, such as its leader's activity or major weapons testing.

The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, and other media outlets also remained mum on the launches.

Initially, the absence of reporting the missile launches was believed to have to do with their failures because another attempted missile launch ended in apparent failure, March 16, and its state-run media outlet did not report the event.

However, as the North Korean regime did not report the SLBM, there has been growing speculation that there is another reason for its silence.

There is something in common in the recent two missile launches. Both of the missile launches were declared successful by the country, so they are regarded as tests to reinforce the weapons. In other words, under its five-year military plan, the launches are part of its process to modernize its weapons.

Internally, this information may not be news to deliver urgently to the North Korean people, and externally, it is seen as its determination to go its own way without considering neighboring countries such as China and Russia, as well as the United States.

However, Cheong Seong-chang, the director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute, said the absence may have to do with Beijing's pressure on Pyongyang to not ratchet up tensions on the peninsula.

"North Korea's recent failure to expose its missile launches is likely due to pressure from China, which does not want to escalate military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and thereby worsen South Korea-China relations," Cheong said.

"Instead of staging military provocations that may ruffle China's feathers, North Korea seems to have test-fired a short-range SLBM that could be accepted by China," he said.

In fact, the Chinese government is seeking to improve its relations with the new South Korean government, as evidenced by dispatching Vice President Wang Qishan to Yoon's inauguration ceremony.