North Korea has recently claimed a series of technical breakthroughs in its goal of acquiring a long-range nuclear missile capable of reaching the continental US.
Advertisement
Ten Security Council members, plus Australia and South Korea have asked the United Nations sanctions committee to “review carefully the known details” about the July 18 launch of three Scud ballistic missiles and a No Dong intermediate-range missile.
The Wednesday launch is reportedly the first time that the main body of a North Korean missile landed within Japan’s economic exclusion zone, roughly 200 miles nautical miles from its shoreline.
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said one missile came down in Japan’s EEZ 250 km west of the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture.
Japan’s Prime Minister called the launch a “grave threat” to his country’s security.
Chang “called for recognition of the seriousness of the national security situation, especially the threat from the sea”, Xinhua news agency said. The other missile exploded right after launch.
China’s Defence Ministry has angrily rejected accusations from Japan that the Chinese military is destabilizing the regional military balance by seeking to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas, accusing Japan of seeking to deceive the global community and sow discord between China and its neighbours. The launches conducted by North Korea constitute a violation of the United Nations resolutions regarding the matter.
North Korea has previously said it was testing its ability to strike bases used by USA forces in South Korea.
The missile firing may be part of North Korea’s response to last month’s decision by South Korea to deploy US -made THAAD anti-missile missiles.
Gary Ross, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, said that the incident “only serves to increase the worldwide community’s resolve to counter [North Korea’s] prohibited activities”.
The United States will begin large-scale annual drills with its ally South Korea later this month that it bills as defensive in nature and not provocative.
The missiles, No Dong, or Rodong, intermediate range ballistic missiles, were fired simultaneously from near the country’s western city of Hwangju, the U.S. Strategic Command said in a statement.
The North later said the launches were part of an exercise simulating preemptive strikes against South Korean ports and airfields used by the US military.
The North has ceaselessly developed its nuclear and missile programs by launching more than 30 ballistic missiles so far this year.
Advertisement
On July 19, North Korea fired three nuclear-capable ballistic missiles that flew about 300 miles into the sea.
