As President Obama awoke in China Monday to the news that North Korea had launched three missiles overnight into the Sea of Japan, perhaps he was inclined to pick up a pen and jot down a little reminder.
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Japan’s Defence Minister Tomomi Inada noted that North Korea has fired 21 missiles since the beginning of the year. The sabre-rattling follows the North’s submarine-launched ballistic missile test some two weeks ago.
N Korea test-fires three ballistic missiles was posted in World of TheNews International – https://www.thenews.com.pk on September 06, 2016 and was last updated on September 06, 2016.
In June, after a string of failures, North Korea sent an intermediate Musudan missile more than 870 miles high in a test launch that outside analysts said showed progress in efforts to acquire the ability to strike U.S. forces in the region.
Her remarks follow the August 24 launch by the DPRK of a submarine-launched ballistic missile.
A senior USA administration official at the G20 condemned the launches as a threat to its allies and to civilian air travel, and vowed diplomatic action against the Pyongyang regime.
During their summit talks, the South Korean President said that the sole goal of the THAAD system is to deter North Korean nuclear and missile attacks and, as such, it will by no means infringe upon the security interests of any other country.
That missile flew 500 kilometres wards Japan, far exceeding the range of the North’s previous sub-launched missiles. The launches were widely condemned, with a senior USA administration official saying, “Today’s reckless launches by North Korea pose threats to civil aviation and maritime commerce in the region”. The State Department said it will broach the issue at the upcoming East Asia Summit, and other fora, as well.
The launching of the trio of Rodong mid-range missiles yesterday from Hwangju county in North Korea’s east coast around noon local time (11am Singapore time) drew condemnation from the USA and its allies, South Korea and Japan.
“Our commitment to the defence of our allies in the face of these threats remains ironclad”, Kirby said. In Tokyo, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters the launches were “a grave security provocation and can never be permitted”.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the three missiles, all believed to be Rodongs, were launched from the western North Korean town of Hwangju and flew across the country before splashing in the sea.
The launch also occurred hours after Park met with Chinese President Xi Jinping about North Korea.
Beijing has protested strongly against the plan, viewing it as part of an American effort to restrain a strengthening China, and worrying that the system will home in on China’s military activities.
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Ms Park labelled North Korea’s continued provocations as a “challenge” to Seoul-Beijing ties, adding that security threats from Pyongyang were at an “unprecedented level”, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said.
