North Korea Spends $650M on Missile Tests in 2022

North Korea has spent up to $650 million on missile tests this year, a government-affiliated think tank in Seoul said Thursday.

As per Korea Institute for Defense Analysis, Kim Jong Un's regime spent an estimated $400 million to $650 million on developing and testing the 33 missiles it fired this year. These funds would have made it possible to make up for this year's food shortage, or provide a single dose of COVID-19 vaccination for all North Koreans, the report claimed.

International sanctions over its weapons programs and the coronavirus related blockades have exacerbated the country’s struggle with chronic food shortages.

South Korea and the United States fired eight ballistic missiles into the East Sea June 6 in response to North Korea's missile launches the previous day. Top officials from both countries have been warning for weeks that Kim's regime is preparing to carry out a fresh nuclear test.