North Korea said Tuesday it ground-tested a new type of high-powered engine for long-range rockets, in another provocation as the USA and its allies vow to strengthen sanctions. But the fact that Kim Jong-un tested the new engine so suddenly shows the North wants to raise the pressure on Seoul and Washington.
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North Korea stated that it has successfully completed a test of a new satellite rocket engine.
The report of Mr Kim’s speech…
South Korea’sDefense Ministry said its assessment was that the engine tested could be used for a long-range missile. The United States also said that it is willing to talk and negotiate with the North if the country promises to stop its tests and give up its nuclear weapons, which Pyongyang has blatantly refused.
Kim was quoted as ordering officials and scientists to complete preparations for a satellite launch as soon as possible, amid “the enemies’ harsh sanctions and moves to stifle” the North.
North Korea launching the satellite Kwangmyongsong-4 in early February.
The engine will provide the country with “sufficient carrier capability for launching various kinds of satellites”.
Outsiders view North Korea’s space launches as a cover for banned ballistic missile tests as the country openly pursues long-range nuclear weapons.
Norea Korea’s nuclear ambitions also saw U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang discuss during a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York Monday possible U.N. sanctions against the isolated nation.
It remains unclear how long the long-range supersonic bombers will stay in South Korea this time, Yonhap said.
NorthKorea claimed after its nuclear test this month that it had mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic missile, a worrying prospect for neighbors South Korea and Japan.
The US Department of Justice alerted the Chinese authorities regarding Ma’s activities last month in line of its law that requires the US to impose heavy sanctions on Chinese companies engaged with the North Korean government.
Two U.S. supersonic bombers flew over South Korea on Wednesday, with one of them landing at an air base 40 km (25 miles) south of the capital, according to a Reuters witness, the second such flight since North Korea’s September 9 nuclear test.
Kim also said space development is an important project for the Party and on the “national level”. “The next test, disguised as a satellite launch, is likely to come when the UN Security Council adopts new sanctions over its last nuclear test or around the time when the United States presidential election takes place in November”, Yang said.
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The United States has a range of missile-defense technologies at its disposal, including the Aegis Combat System, Patriot missiles and sophisticated radars.
