Share

US flies bombers over South Korea again in show of force

An American strategic bomber landed in South Korea today in a show of force the United States said was aimed at reminding Pyongyang of its powerful military assets in the region. There are also speculations that the North will conduct a nuclear test Oct. 9, the anniversary of its first nuclear test. October may be an explosive month if these predictions are accurate.

Advertisement

Zhang stressed that China’s sanctions could be very effective if the country cuts all ties with North Korea, but this would be even more risky than a military attack, because it could force North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons but also cause the collapse of a nuclear-armed state, and this is highly unpredictable and unsafe for the region.

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.

North Korea ground tested a new type of high-power carrier rocket engine for launching of geostationary satellites Tuesday, but some suspect the North is working on long-range missiles.

The supersonic bombers had made a sortie from the United States air base in Guam.

Rocket scientist Chae Yeon-Seok at the South’s Korea Aerospace Research Institute said with the new engine, the North is “coming close to having an inter-continental ballistic missile [ICBM] that could hit the U.S. mainland”.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week US officials suspect Hongxiang and its chairwoman, Ma Xiaohong, of helping Pyongyang evade United Nations -imposed restrictions on trade. The Liaoning provincial police headquarters didn’t respond to questions sent by fax. He said the North had “broken records” in its violation of global norms: It is the only nation to have conducted nuclear tests in the 21st century and is already subject to five Security Council resolutions over its weapons testing.

That was followed in June by a ban on exports to the North of “dual use” items with possible civilian and military applications including metal alloys, cutting and laser-welding equipment and materials that could be used in production of chemical weapons.

North Korean state media called the South “puppet warmongerers” when reporting the upcoming military drills.

The company, which is based on the North Korean border in Liaoning province’s Dandong city, exported around $171 million worth of goods to the North between 2011 and 2015, the report said, adding its imports from the country totalled more than $360 million during the same period.

Advertisement

US-Korea Institute said on its closely-watched website, 38North, said this test represents a “significant step” in the continued development of larger, more advanced space launch vehicles.

A U.S. Air Force B-1B bomber from Andersen Air Force Base Guam flies over Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek South Korea Wednesday Sept. 21 2016. KOREA OUT