The U.N. Security Council agreed at an emergency meeting late Wednesday to consider issuing a statement on the latest North Korean missile launch. Having that capability could significantly strengthen Pyongyang’s ability to conduct strikes on USA positions in South Korea, and possibly on US bases in Japan as well.
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“The U.S. commitment to the defense of our allies including the Republic of Korea and Japan in the face of these threats remains ironclad”, she said. Pyongyang also claimed the launch had no negative impact on the security of neighboring countries.
South Korea does not now have any ballistic missile defenses against a SLBM. The S-L-B-M was sacked from a sub in waters off the eastern city of Sinpo at around 5:30 am, Korea time breaching Japan’s Air Defense Identification Zone by about 80 kilometers – that’s according to Seoul.
The Washington-based 38 North project said in a report that the missile was launched from the North’s sole experimental missile submarine and a satellite photograph taken on Monday showed final preparations, likely after the missile had already been loaded onto the submarine using a heavy construction crane. Tensions also intensified following the recent defection of a top envoy stationed in London to South Korea.
“At 5:30 am on August 24, North Korea test fired one SLBM toward the East Sea from the waters near the city of Sinpo in South Hamgyong Province”.
Foreign ministers from Japan, China and South Korea have reached an understanding on a trilateral summit meeting in Japan this year.
Yun said that the DPRK’s repeated missile tests this year “demonstrated a rapid advancement of capability” and that he shared the concern over the “urgent situation” with his counterparts.
Many outside experts say North Korea doesn’t yet have a functioning long-range nuclear missile capable of reaching the continental U.S.
“We will deal strongly and sternly with any provocation by the North”, it said.
The latest test came just days after North Korea threatened a pre-emptive nuclear strike against South Korean and United States forces who kicked off their annual “Ulchi Freedom” military drill on Monday.
The South Korean government and experts said the launch showed technical progress in the North’s missile programme. “Those threats are coming closer each moment”.
“The US vicious nuclear threat and blackmail against the DPRK only resulted in bolstering up its nuclear attack capability hour by hour and the US mainland and the operational theatre in the Pacific are now within the striking range of the KPA, no matter how hard the US tries to deny it”, the agency quoted Kim as saying.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running high since the beginning of this year, as North Korea has been conducting nuclear and ballistic missile tests in violation of United Nations resolutions.
If the launch tube had been lowered to the ordinary angle, the missile could presumably have flown for more than 1,000 km. Analysts say the flight showed DPRK has made progress in its push to be able to strike US forces throughout the region.
Images show the self-proclaimed “Supreme Leader” of North Korea smiling as he is said to be watching the launch from a screen, sitting cross-legged on the floor.
But the North is “on track to the capability to strike targets in the region – including Japan – by 2020”, it said.
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The test came two days after South Korea and the United States began an annual joint military exercise, seen by North Korea as a rehearsal for invasion.
