North Korea test fired a ballistic missile launched from under water off the coast of South Hamgyong Province Saturday in an apparent angry reaction to South Korea’s decision to deploy a USA -made advanced missile defense system. USA and South Korean officials say THAAD only targets North Korea, but China and Russian Federation suspect it could also help US radars to detect missiles from their countries.
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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korea said Monday it will end a diplomatic communication channel with the United States and hinted at harsher punishment for Americans detained in the country in retaliation for USA sanctions that target leader Kim Jong Un.
South Koreans shout slogans during a rally to denounce deploying the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, near U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, July 11, 2016.
The missile failed in its initial flight stage, but that didn’t stop the dictator from having a good chuckle about it. Japan, the United States and South Korea’s military condemned the missile launch as a flagrant violation of United Nations sanctions.
North Korea is said to have launched a missile in the early hours of this morning. The South’s military declined to confirm those details citing its policy of not publicly commenting on intelligence matters.
It will be focused exclusively on North Korean nuclear and missile threats and would not be directed toward any third-party nations, the two countries said last week.
South and North Korea start Red Cross talks aimed at helping reunite millions of separated family members in the two divided states.
She also urged support from South Koreans over the deployment of powerful weapon, in the face of growing protest in the areas said to be potential venues. “We should strongly condemn the launch by working with the global community”, Abe told reporters, but said the launch did not gravely affect Japan’s national security.
The US said it was monitoring and assessing the situation in close co-ordination with its regional allies and partners.
North Korea on Saturday test-fired what is believed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile, defying pressure from the worldwide community and new USA sanctions on its top leader, Kim Jong-un. “Through operations in cyber gambling units, and development and sales of gambling programs, North Korea brings in an income of about 1 trillion won ($863.9 million) annually”, he said.
That was the latest in a series of missile launches as tensions have risen after the North staged its fourth underground atomic test in January.
North Korea already has a considerable arsenal of land-based ballistic missiles and is believed to be advancing its efforts to miniaturize nuclear warheads mounted on missiles through nuclear and rocket tests.
North Korea began test-firing SLBMs previous year.
Saturday’s launch followed Pyongyang’s back-to-back tests of a powerful new medium-range Musudan missiles on June 22 – theoretically capable of reaching USA bases as far away as Guam.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that THAAD exceeded the security needs of the Korean peninsula.
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North Korea last conducted what it described as a successful test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile on April 23, which flew about 30 kilometers from waters off Sinpo before breaking into pieces midair.
