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“Missile Is a 4 July Gift for American Bas****s,” Says Kim Jong-un

Slamming Kim Jong-un, Donald Trump tweeted, “Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?”  

Updated
World
4 min read
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Snapshot
  • The North Korean missile flew 930 km, South Korea’s military said
  • The missile launch comes just days ahead of G20 summit
  • Japan protested the test, and said the missile may have landed in EEZ
  • Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also said North Korea was ignoring repeated warnings

North Korea test-launched a ballistic missile from its western region into the sea off its east coast on 4 July, South Korea's military said, ahead of a summit of leaders from the Group of 20 nations in Germany later this week.

The missile flew for about 40 minutes and landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Japanese government said, adding it had strongly protested what it called a clear violation of UN resolutions.

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The missile flew about 930 kilometres (580 miles), the South's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding the altitude reached by the projectile was still being analysed.

Kim Jong Un said that the missile was a “gift to American bas****s on Independence day”.

North Korea is ignoring repeated warnings from the international community, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday.

Abe said he will ask the presidents of China and Russia to play more constructive roles in efforts to stop the North's arms programme.

Leaders of the world will gather at the G20 meeting. I would like to strongly call for solidarity of the international community on the North Korean issue.
Shinzo Abe

It was the fourth ballistic missile launched by the North since South Korean President Moon Jae-in took office in May, vowing to use dialogue as well as pressure to bring Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes under control.

South Korean and Japanese officials have said they were studying the data to confirm whether or not it was an ICBM. Analysts have said that the missile appeared to have a strike-range till Alaska but no other parts of continental US.

On state North Korean television, a newsreader got emotional whilst announcing that Kim Jong-un had personally overseen the “landmark” test of a Hwasong-14 missile.

Following the news of the latest launch, US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the missile testing a "new escalation of the threat" and warned that Washington "will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea", as BBC reported.

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Timing of the Launch

In his meeting with Moon last week in Washington, Trump called for a determined response to North Korea, stressing the importance of the alliance between the two countries.

The North has in the past launched ballistic missiles timed to key diplomatic events and meetings of leaders.

Tuesday's missile was launched around 0040 GMT from an airfield in Panghyon, about 100 km (60 miles) northwest of the North's capital, Pyongyang, the South Korean military said. It did not immediately release the range and class of the missile, citing ongoing analysis.

The last North Korean missile launches were in early June and the one on Tuesday came ahead of the G20 summit on 7-8 July in Hamburg, Germany, where the US, China, Japan and South Korea are expected to discuss efforts to rein in the North's nuclear and missile tests.

Tuesday’s missile launch also comes ahead of 4 July Independence Day celebrations in the US. North Korea has previously fired missiles around this US holiday.

Meanwhile, South Korea's presidential Blue House said President Moon Jae-in called a national security council meeting for 0230 GMT after being informed of the North's missile launch.

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Trump, World Leaders Head to Germany for G20 Summit

US President Donald Trump meets other world leaders at Germany's G20 summit from Friday, with North Korea's first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile casting a long shadow over the gathering at the heavily-fortified venue.

In the most anticipated moment of the G20, Trump will meet Putin, the ex-KGB agent accused of having aided, with hackers and fake news, the surprise rise of the property tycoon into the White House.

UN Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting today after North Korea said it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile, diplomats said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the launch, warning that it "constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation."

US Pacific Command confirmed the test and said it was a land-based, intermediate-range missile that flew for 37 minutes before splashing down in the Sea of Japan. It said the launch did not pose a threat to North America.

China, Pyongyang's main ally, is pushing for talks between world powers and North Korea on dismantling the nuclear program. The United States maintains the Pyongyang must first halt its missile launches and nuclear test.

North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from developing missile and nuclear technology.

The Security Council adopted two sanctions resolutions last year to ramp up pressure on Pyongyang and last month added 14 North Korean officials and four entities to the sanctions blacklist.

(with inputs from PTI)

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