North Korea’s SLBM test emerged as the focus of Pyongyang’s media on Thursday as the country appeared to be building on its success with the construction of new submarines.
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Kim reportedly observed the set up of the submarine-launched ballistic missile on Wednesday and commented that it was “the greatest success and victory”.
The footage lasted almost two minutes and included a countdown segment and a caption in large letters that read “Launch”.
The site also shows images of the missile, thought to be a Pukkuksong-1 (also referred to as the Bukgeukseong-1 or KN-11), before and after the launch, which took place at about 05:30 h local time from waters near the eastern port city of Sinpo, in North Korea’s South Hamgyong Province. North Korea withdrew from the talks in 2008. He was quoted by state media as calling it the “success of all successes”, though it brought immediate condemnation from the United States and the North’s neighbors.
“While promoting the performance [of the SLBM], [the launch] is also responding to joint U.S”. Kim “strongly” warned the US and South Korea from “hurting the dignity and security of North Korea” if they want to avoid military strikes against them.
The United States described the submarine missile test as a “provocative destabilizing” action by the Kim Jong-un-led North Korean regime.
North Korea has ordered its ambassador in London to return home over the scandal around his deputy’s alleged defection to South Korea.
The country fired the submarine-based ballistic missile off the coast of South Korea – leaving the two countries on a war alert.
North Korea was not thought to be able to strike the USA mainland but the latest launch suggests they are getting closer.
This photo carried by North Korea’s main newspaper Rodong Sinmun on August 25, 2016, shows a submarine-launched ballistic missile launched by the repressive country a day earlier.
He also stressed the need to speed up mounting nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles and to focus efforts on the development of the delivery means. “Our country is getting more prosperous and they don’t like that, so they are stepping up their moves to stifle us”.
But the North has continued to launch ballistic missiles and tensions have mounted.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the North Korean provocation an “unforgivable act” in “apparent defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions”.
Outside experts say the North doesn’t yet have a reliable long-range nuclear missile capable of reaching the continental USA, but they acknowledge the North has been making steady progress on its weapons programs and could one day acquire such a weapon. Kim also said it is undeniable that the US mainland and key operational areas in the Pacific were within North Korea’s striking distance.
Hideshi Takesada, a professor at Takushoku University who is an expert on North Korea, said it is possible North Korea’s SLBMs already have a range of 3,000 km, based on Wednesday’s test, but merely adjusted the flight range to about 500 km for demonstration purposes.
Washington and Seoul say the military exercises North Korea opposes are defensive in nature.
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The United Nations Security Council agreed at an emergency meeting late Wednesday requested by the United States and Japan to consider issuing a statement on the missile launch.
