North Korea claims it tested first intercontinental missile

 

North Korea has announced it successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting "anywhere in the world", under the supervision of leader Kim Jong-un.

The Hwasong-14 missile reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometres and hit its target precisely after flying for 39 minutes, the announcement on state television said.
Japan's Defence Ministry earlier confirmed the missile had "greatly exceeded" 2,500 kilometres before landing in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.
The South Korean military said the missile was launched about 10:40am (AEST) from an airfield in Panghyon, about 100 kilometres north-west of the North's capital, Pyongyang.
The categorisation of the launch as that of an intercontinental ballistic missile appeared to contradict South Korean and US officials, who earlier said it was an intermediate-range missile.
The North has previously conducted satellite launches that critics say were disguised tests of its long-range missile technology.
But a test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, if confirmed, would be considered a game-changer by countries looking to check North Korea's push for a nuclear-armed missile that can reach anywhere in the US.
The test still may be the North's most successful yet, with one weapons analyst saying the missile could be powerful enough to reach Alaska.
 

Soon after the launch, US President Donald Trump sent a tweet presumably referring to Mr Kim, that questioned whether "this guy [had] anything better to do with his life".
Mr Trump went on to suggest China could "perhaps" take action against North Korea "and end this nonsense once and for all!"
Australia condemned the "provocative ballistic tests", which Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said were in breach of numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions.
"North Korea continues to threaten its neighbours while undermining regional and global security," Ms Bishop said in a statement.
"North Korea's long-term interests would be best served by ceasing its nuclear and missiles programs and focusing on improving the lives of its long suffering people."
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also condemned North Korea's actions, saying he would work alongside world leaders to increase pressure on the regime.
"Japan will work to increase international pressure on North Korea by uniting strongly with the US and South Korea," Mr Abe said.
"I'm also planning to call on the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to play a more constructive role."

Korea," Mr Abe said.

"I'm also planning to call on the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to play a more constructive role."

ABC/Reuters

Topics: world-politics, government-and-politics, korea-democratic-people-s-republic-of

First posted 3 Jul 2017, 11:40pm