North Korea fired a ballistic missile early Wednesday, the first such launch in two months and one that based on preliminary projections shows Pyongyang is edging closer to possessing a weapon that can hit Washington D.C.
The launch reported by South Korea and the US came just a week after US President Donald Trump reinstated North Korea on a list of state sponsors of terrorism, allowing for fresh sanctions on the country in addition to those already in force under UN mandates.
A report on North Korea television said the intercontinental ballistic missile can reach all areas of the US mainland and that the country under leader Kim Jong Un had achieved its goal of becoming a nuclear power. In September, it conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test.
“Kim Jong Un declared with pride that now we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force,” according to a statement read by a television presenter.
Pyongyang has stoked international alarm, as well as UN Security Council sanctions backed by its main ally China, over its missile and nuclear weapon tests. Its last missile test was September 15, which had raised hopes sanctions were having an impact.
The South Korean military said the missile was fired from South Pyongan Province, reached an altitude of around 4,500 km (2,800 miles) and flew 960 km before breaking up and landing at sea in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
“It went higher frankly than any previous shot they’ve taken, a research and development effort on their part to continue building ballistic missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically,” U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters at the White House, Reuters reported.
In the statement, North Korea described itself as a “responsible nuclear power”, saying its strategic weapons were developed to defend itself from “the U.S. imperialists’ nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat.”
Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke by phone and agreed to boost deterrence capability, Yasutoshi Nishimura, deputy chief cabinet secretary, said in Tokyo.
“It is a situation that we will handle,” Trump told reporters at the White House. He said it did not change his administration’s approach to North Korea.
South Korea’s military staged a “precision strike” missile exercise test in response, Yonhap news agency said.
Japanese officials said the missile flew for 53 minutes and was likely an ICBM based on its high trajectory. Independent assessments of the launch seemed to corroborate North Korea’s claims on the missile’s distance capabilities.
“If these numbers are correct, then if flown on a standard trajectory rather than this lofted trajectory, this missile would have a range of more than 13,000 kilometers (km) (8,100 miles),” David Wright, senior scientist at the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said in a statement.
“This is significantly longer than North Korea’s previous long range tests, which flew on lofted trajectories for 37 minutes (July 4) and 47 minutes (July 28). Such a missile would have more than enough range to reach Washington, D.C., and in fact any part of the continental United States,” Wright said.
“We do not know how heavy a payload this missile carried, but given the increase in range it seems likely that it carried a very light mock warhead. If true, that means it would be incapable of carrying a nuclear warhead to this long distance, since such a warhead would be much heavier.”
After firing missiles at a rate of about two or three a month since April, North Korea paused the program, following the September 15 missile it fired that passed over Japan’s northern Hokkaido island and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
North Korea has said its weapons programs are a defense against US plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean war, denies such intentions.
Last week, North Korea denounced Trump’s decision to reinstate it as a state sponsor of terrorism, calling it a “serious provocation and violent infringement.”
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the launch had been anticipated and that the government had been preparing for it. Moon said there was no choice but for countries to keep applying pressure and sanctions against North Korea.
“Diplomatic options remain viable and open, for now,” US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement. “The United States remains committed to finding a peaceful path to denuclearization and to ending belligerent actions by North Korea.”
“In addition to implementing all existing UN sanctions, the international community must take additional measures to enhance maritime security, including the right to interdict maritime traffic” traveling to and from North Korea, Tillerson said.
Officials in South Korea, Japan and elsewhere had indicated earlier this week that activities in North Korea suggested another missile or nuclear test was imminent.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US think tank, said on Sunday that there’s an increasing possibility that North Korea will engage in significant “weapons of mass destruction activities” in the next 30 days. CSIS said such activity might include a new ballistic missile test around December 17.
Radio Free Asia, a US-backed news outlet, also quoted a Chinese source over the weekend as saying that Pyongyang will probably carry out another nuclear test.
Mr. Kim should have worked on other aspects of its program than provoking Mr. Trump with his rockets, but the rocket man is the rocket man. Mr. Kim must be aware there is a political aspect of these provocations. President Trump is struggling with his popularity rating and could be impeached if the ratings drop further. We have previously seen politicians in the West use war to boost their popularity. We know President Trump was informed about the launch while the rocket was inflight and choose to do nothing.
The US might be too busy with the US/Saudi genocide in Yemen and searching for new profitable wars in the Middle East. If the “Arab NATO” IMCTC do the fighting, the US will be more than happy to sell them the weapons. Most "armchair experts" seem to agree the Saudis can not afford another war and have more than enough solving their domestic issues. Saudi Crown prince MBS is fundraising by hanging his prince cousin’s upside down, and shake them, to get even their coins.
Why is it a "provocation"? Does N Korea (or any other country) not have the right to develop weapons for self-defense, especially when the biggest navy in the world is knocking on your door?
The world observes and note that US is incapable of shooting down the missile with its THAAD in South Korea and Aegis flotilas in 3 carrier battle groups in the vicinity.
Surely it is time to stop bluffing beligerently and sit down to negotiate peace, allow reunification and remove its military bases from the region.
Why is it called "weapons of mass destruction" only when North Korea acuires it but other like Israel, the US, Russia, India and Pakistan bombs are not WMDs?
The US and Israel both have Iran on their cross hairs, not north Korea. The threats are actually aimed at Tehran due to it’s proximity to the Zionist appropriated Palestinian land so called Israel.
The target is Iran, the Israelis and the US want a war with Iran not NK.
NK already has what it takes to not only keep the US at bay but to eventually oust the Yankees from the Korean penninsula altoghether.
Shawn Napper I agree, but there are two sets of laws; one for the US and one for the rest of the world. North Korea has seen what happen to Libya and Iraq when they cooperated and got rid of their Weapons of Mass Destruction.
North Korea see their nukes as the only way that they can defend themselves. There has been a lot of pressure from the Israeli lobby to eliminate the chance North Korea selling arms to Iran. I think this is part of the US thinking.
It is dual standards as always. Pakistan is more concerning than North Korea. Pakistan have problems with corruption, political and economical turmoil. The situation for the public is getting worse by the day. Some say the Pakistan economy now is worse than Afghanistan. The international community should be aware Pakistan has many nukes that can get into the wrong hands. According to CIA expert Bruce Riedel, Saudi Arabia have an agreement with Pakistan to supply nukes if needed. According to Wikileaks, Qatar has one nuke already and suspected seller is Pakistan.
Many have hoped that the rocketman will collapse after UN sanctions.
This is a wonderful news. I was afraid in the past that their missile would only reach California (the only state with intelligence) but now I am glad they can hit anywhere. These poor N. Koreans are only trying to protect themselves and knowing what US did to their country in Korean war, I can not blame them. I am sure if China was conducting war game twice a year off of Miami and had 70,000 troops stationed in Cuba practicing land invasion, US would do the same.
Readers must also keep in mind that Korea is the only Asian country that does not recognize the state of Israel and rightly so. Given that they were also the only country supporting Iran and other revolutionary movements around the globe and also providing technology to freedom movements, they have been under Zionist threat.
Lastly, is N. Korea terrible in terms of human righs and repression, Frankly its in much better position compare to many countries. Its defintely better in terms of human rights and support for terrorism compared to the ones below:
1. Saudi Arabia
2. Israel
3. Sudan
4. Pakistan
5. Somalia
6. Libya
Just to name a few!!!…the fact that US likes to demonize countries that don’t bend down to please West makes them evil countries…this has been going on for decades. N. Korea still has many social benefits and security compare to many countries in the world….I mean hell even in Silicon Valley or San Diego or NY there are thousand of people sleeping in street and even starving…What makes N. Korea any worse than lets say S. Arabia that beheaded 109 people this year?
Would you feel safer walking at 2:00am in Pyongyang or in NY City or LA? I bet in Pyongyang there will be no one rubbing you or shooting you.
It almost sounds like you’re talking about trump.