North Korea has fired its highest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile

North Korea has fired its highest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile

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North Korea has fired a intercontinental ballistic missile, the first such launch since mid-September, according to officials in South Korea, Japan and the United States.

“North Korea launch an identify ballistic missile east-war from the vicinity of Pyongsong. South Pyongan Province, at dawn today”, South Korean army officials told South Korean news agency Yonhap.

There was no immediate comment from North Korea.

North Korea Launch Missile from Pyongsong

The missile was fired from Pyongsong, a city in South Pyongan Province, at around 3:17am local time (18:17 GMT) on Wednesday, according to South Korea’s military.

Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera inform the missile reach an estimate altitude of around 4,000 kilometers. And broke up before landing in the country’s “exclusive economic zone”.

His US counterpart, Jim Mattis, said the missile went higher than ever before, describing it as a step towards Pyongyang building missiles that can “threaten everywhere in the world, basically”.

“With these tests, North Korea wants to demonstrate to the world the range its missiles have.” Al Jazeera’s Kathy Novak, reporting from South Korea’s capital, Seoul.

An initial assessment by the US Department of Defense said North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). This type of missile is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and can reach the mainland of the United States.

If the Pentagon’s first assessment turns out to be correct. It would be the third test of an ICBM by North Korea this year.

Following the launch, South Korean President Moon Jae-in expect to preside a national security meeting with top advisers. While Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe call for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

“This is being taken very seriously here in the region,” said Al Jazeera’s Novak, noting that South Korea conduct a live-fire drill five minutes after the firing of the missile.

The message that the South wants to send to the North is that it is monitoring actions coming out of North Korea. Though it detects these missile launches quickly. And that it is prepare to respond,” she inform.

Commenting on the launch, US President Donald Trump inform “it is a situation we will handle”. Adding that the US stance on the North Korea issue would not change.

Trump Words for North Korea

Last week, Trump re-designate North Korea as a “state sponsor of terrorism”. A move that was describe as being part of a “maximum pressure campaign” to isolate Pyongyang even more.

The US president and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have repeatedly trade barbs. Trump call Kim “rocket man”, while North Korea’s leader describe the US president as a “dotard”.

Jens Stoltenberg, secretary-general of NATO condemn the missile launch.

“This is a further breach of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions undermining regional and international security”, he inform in a statement.

His view echo by the European Union. “This launch represents a further grave provocation. And a serious threat to international security,”

 

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