The rocket that North Korea launched this week appeared to be more powerful than the one fired in 2012, with an increased range of 12,000 kilometres which puts most of the United States within reach, a South Korean defence ministry official has said.
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Japan’s parliament condemned North Korea’s long-range rocket launch Tuesday, calling it a serious provocation against worldwide peace and demanding that the communist nation immediately stop such activity.
South Korea had assured China that there were no discussions on the THAAD deployment with the U.S. However, shortly after the North’s testing of ICBM technologies earlier this week, Seoul announced that it now has to discuss the issue with Washington.
But China, North Korea’s most important ally, has voiced objections to that option.
Spokesman Peter Cook confirmed that Pyongyang was able “to put a satellite or some space device” into orbit.
North Korea is believed to have more than 200 medium-range Rodong missiles with a range of 1,300 km (807 miles), developed from Scud missiles with Soviet technology.
The flight path of the latest rocket was also similar to the 2012 launch vehicle, whose first stage debris was recovered by South Korea off its western coast.
The United States’ top military commander will discuss North Korea’s latest satellite launch with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts this week as part of efforts to strengthen military ties between the three countries, USA defense officials said on Monday.
China, as a key regional stakeholder, has expressed deep concerns over the proposed THAAD deployment, which it says could worsen the already fragile situation in Northeast Asia.
On Wednesday, the Senate is expected to pass the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act that aims to expand and tighten economic restrictions to block the Kim regime’s access to hard currency, targeting both North Korean entities and companies in other countries like China that deal with them.
USA military officials have said the sophisticated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system built by Lockheed Martin Corp and the associated AN/TPY-2 tracking radar built by Raytheon Co are needed in South Korea.
It sparked strong worldwide condemnations and resulted in an agreement at the UN Security Council to move quickly to impose new sanctions.
The ministry said South Korea and the United States are still trying to find its exact splash zone.
But for the US, THAAD is a “defensive” system oriented “against the North Korean threat” and not for China to surveillance, explained Cook.
The report, compiled by the Agency for Defense Development, says the Kwangmyongsong 4 satellite is in orbit and that the rocket’s three stages separated successfully.
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The country is banned from rocket launches using any ballistic missile technologies, according to multiple UN Security Council resolutions.
