Kim Jong Un Urges More Missile Launches Targeting Pacific Ocean
The Japanese government confirmed the news and said that the missile passed over northern Japan early on Tuesday.
- North Korea fired Hwasong-12 intermediate ballistic missile on Tuesday
- It was reportedly launched to counter S Korea-US Drills
The missile passed over northern Japan, the Japanese government said - The missile broke into three pieces and fell into waters off Japan’s Hokkaido
- The missile fell in waters 1,180 km east of Cape Erimo on Hokkaido
- The Pentagon confirmed the missile flew over Japan but did not pose a threat to North America
UN Council Unanimously Condemns North Korea Missile Test
The UN Security Council has denounced North Korea's latest missile test, unanimously demanding that Pyongyang halt the program after a rocket was fired over Japan into the Pacific.
Following the emergency closed-door session called by the United States and Japan, Tokyo's envoy at the UN suggested that a new sanctions declaration could be issued.
"Next step starting now. We can't predict the outcome but I certainly hope it would be a strong resolution following this statement," Koro Bessho said yesterday.
The 15-member body maintained its unity after Kim Jong- Un's latest provocation, with China and Russia agreeing to sign up to a statement condemning his isolated regime's action.
Kim Jong Un Calls For More Weapon Launches
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for more weapon launches targeting the Pacific Ocean.
Kim expressed “great satisfaction” over the launch of Hwasong-12.
He called the launch a “meaningful prelude” to containing Guam and said North Korea would continue to watch the US demeanour before it decides future actions, Korean Central News Agency said.
N Korea Says it Launched Hwasong-12 Rocket to Counter S Korea-US Drills
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided a launch of its Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile on Tuesday in a drill to counter the joint military exercises by South Korean and US militaries, the North's official KCNA news agency said on Wednesday.
"The current ballistic rocket launching drill like a real war is the first step of the military operation of the KPA in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam," KCNA quoted Kim as saying.
KPA stands for the Korean People's Army, the North's military.
North Korea threatened to fire four Hwasong-12 missiles into the sea near the US Pacific territory of Guam earlier this month after US President Donald Trump said the North would face "fire and fury" if it threatened the United States.
North Korea's Missile Launch Shows its Not Bluffing: Russian Lawmaker
North Korea's latest missile test shows its threat to fire four missiles into the waters near the US Pacific territory of Guam was not a bluff, a senior Russian lawmaker said on Tuesday.
Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile over Japan's northern Hokkaido island into the sea early on Tuesday. The test, one of the most provocative ever from the reclusive state, appeared to have been of a recently developed intermediate-range Hwasong-12 missile, experts said.
Kosachev also said that a United Nations Security Council resolution regarding North Korea's missile programme which passed this month had failed to achieve its objective, "because the situation has turned into a bilateral standoff between North Korea and the United States".
China Needs to Rachet Up Pressure: Australian PM
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said China, North Korea's main ally and trading partner, needed to do more.
"China has to ratchet up the pressure," Turnbull told Australian radio. "They have condemned these missiles tests like everyone else but with unique leverage comes unique responsibility."
US and South Korean Military Agree to Strongly Respond to N Korea
The top US and South Korean military officers agreed to make a strong response to North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch on Tuesday, including possible unspecified military measures, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.
The chairmen of both countries' Joint Chiefs of Staff agreed on a phone call "to take response measures at the earliest possible time that can demonstrate the alliance's strong will including military measures," Yonhap reported, quoting the South Korean military.
The Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul could not be reached immediately for confirmation. A South Korean defence ministry official said there was no immediate plan to change joint military drills being conducted by the South Korean and U.S. militaries.
UNSC to Hold a Meeting
The UNSC will be holding a meeting late on Tuesday to discuss North Korea’s missile launch. North Korea fired a missile that flew over Japan and landed in waters off the northern region of Hokkaido early on Tuesday, South Korean and Japanese officials said, marking a sharp escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Japan Says North Korean Missile Likely an Intermediate Range Rocket
A North Korean missile fired over northern Japan on Tuesday was likely the same type of intermediate range ballistic missile it fired in May and had threatened to launch at the US Pacific island territory of Guam, Japan's defence minister said.
"The missile reached an altitude of 550 kilometres," Minister of Defence Itsunori Onodera told reporters. It broke in three before landing in the Pacific ocean, he said.
In May, North Korea fired a new strategic ballistic missile called the Hwasong-12 towards Japan on a lofted trajectory that reached an altitude of 2,111.5 km (1,312 miles). Fired at a standard trajectory, it would have a range of at least 4,000 km (2,500 miles), experts say.
Pyongyang later said it planned to fire the same kind of missile into waters close to Guam.
South Korea Fin Min to Review Stability Measures If Needed Over North Korea Risks
South Korea's finance ministry said on Tuesday it will monitor financial markets around the clock and act according to its contingency plans to stabilise markets if needed after North Korea's latest missile test.
"Our view is that we need to fully prepare and make stern responses to manage risks at home and abroad," the ministry said after a policy meeting with the Bank of Korea and financial regulators that was urgently called after the launch.
North Korea fired a missile that flew over Japan and landed in waters off the northern region of Hokkaido earlier on Tuesday, South Korean and Japanese officials said, marking a sharp escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Nikkei Falls to 4-Month Low After North Korea Fires Missile
Japan's Nikkei share average fell to a near four-month low on Tuesday morning as sentiment was soured after North Korea fired a missile over northern Japan earlier in the day.
In early trade, the Nikkei opened down 0.7 percent and fell as low as 19,304.76, its lowest since 1 May.
The broader Topix dropped 0.5 percent to 1,592.77.
North Korea fired a missile that flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific waters off the northern region of Hokkaido, South Korea and Japan said, in a sharp escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Need to Put Much More Pressure on North Korea: Japan Foreign Minister
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said stronger pressure would be needed on North Korea after its latest missile launch, which flew over Japanese territory early on Tuesday.
Separately, Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said he believed concerns over Japan's national security had heightened after Pyongyang's move. He said the government was still analysing the missile, including the altitude flown.
They spoke to reporters after an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
North Korea Ballistic Missile Flew 2,700 km: South Korea Military
A North Korean ballistic missile launched on Tuesday from near the capital of Pyongyang flew about 2,700 km (1,677 miles) and reached an altitude of about 550 km, South Korea's military said.
The missile was fired at around 2057 GMT Monday and flew over Japan, South Korea's Joint Chief of Staffs said, adding that it and the US military are analyzing more information.
North Korean missile did not pose a threat to North America: US
North Korea launched a missile that flew over Japan, but did not pose a threat to North America, the Pentagon said on Monday.
"We can confirm that the missile launched by North Korea flew over Japan," Pentagon spokesman Colonel Robert Manning told reporters. He said that the U.S. military was gathering further information.
"North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America," Manning said.
Japan PM Abe Says to Protect Japanese Public
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday he would do all in his power to protect the Japanese public after North Korea fired a missile that passed over the country's territory.
"We will make utmost efforts to firmly protect the lives of the people," Abe told reporters in brief remarks as he entered his office for emergency meetings on the missile firing.
North Korea Fires Missile That Passed Over Japan
North Korea fired an unidentified projectile early on Tuesday from a region near its capital, Pyongyang, in the eastern direction toward the sea off its east coast, South Korea's military said.
The Japanese government confirmed the news and said that the missile passed over northern Japan.
The government's J-Alert warning system advised people in the area to take precautions, but public broadcaster NHK said there was no sign of damage.
The Japanese military did not attempt to shoot down the missile, which passed over Japanese territory around 6:06 am local time (2106 GMT).
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