Summary: North Korea successfully tested another intercontinental ballistic missile with a range able to reach the middle of the United States.
North Korea’s latest missile test is pushing the comfort levels on countries throughout the world. The communist country successfully tested another intercontinental ballistic missile that had the ability to reach mainland America. The test resulted in a sharp warning from President Donald Trump and other comments from leaders throughout the world.
Their leader Kim Jong Un supervised the launch himself at midnight Friday night, warning the United States that they were not free from an attack on their homeland if they tried to attack them. Had the missile been launched at a flattened trajectory, the Union of Concerned Scientists in the United States estimate that the missile could have reached Denver or Chicago.
North Korea’s state television broadcast images of the launch with the missile lifting off in the darkness with a fiery blast. Kim can be seen cheering alongside his military aides. The country’s new agency KCNA said, “The test-fire reconfirmed the reliability of the ICBM system, demonstrated the capability of making a surprise launch of the ICBM in any region and place any time, and clearly proved that the whole U.S. mainland is in the firing range of the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) missiles, (Kim) said with pride.”
The KCNA claims the missile reached an altitude of 3,724.9 km and flew for 998 km for 47 minutes and 12 seconds before landing in the water of their east coast. This is an improvement on their first attempt.
Less than a month ago, North Korea tested its first ICBM despite efforts with the United States, South Korea, and Japan to control the country’s nuclear weapon goals. Trump said, “By threatening the world, these weapons and tests further isolate North Korea, weaken its economy, and deprive its people. The United States will take all necessary steps to ensure the security of the American homeland and protect our allies in the region.”
Even China, North Korea’s primary ally, has publicly opposed the missile activity. China said they did not agree with North Korea’s “launch activities that run counter to Security Council resolutions and the common wishes of the international community.” The Chinese foreign ministry further emphasized, “At the same time, China hopes all parties act with caution, to prevent tensions from continuing to escalate, to jointly protect regional peace and stability.”
The Trump administration has expressed that they will take whatever actions necessary to contain the nuclear matter in North Korea but will turn to sanctions and diplomacy first. With the aid of South Korea, the United States launched a live-fire ballistic missile exercise in response to Kim’s test.
South Korea, the United States, and Japan have agreed that more steps must be taken to strategically deter North Korea from pursuing nuclear missiles, including more sanctions by the U.N. Security Council. South Korea plans to increase their missile capabilities in addition to taking on four additional deployments of U.S. THAAD anti-missile defense system units.
China said, “We strongly urge South Korea and the United States to face squarely China’s concerns about its interests, stop the relevant deployment process and withdraw the related equipment.”
North Korea’s test came just one day after a number of sanctions were approved by the U.S. Senate against North Korea, Russia, and Iran. Trump just has to sign the bill. The sanctions include measures aimed at Chinese institutions conducting business with North Korea.
Do you think North Korea is just waiting for an excuse to strike? Tell us in the comments below.
To learn more about issues with North Korea, read these articles:
- North Korea Creates Their Own Time Zone
- North Korea Threatens US with Possible War
- Americans Banned from North Korea
Photo: flickr.com