An intercontinental ballistic missile that I launched fell north korea Saturday is likely in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, Tokyo announced.
Japanese government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that Pyongyang “fired an intercontinental ballistic missile eastward. It flew for about 66 minutes” and covered a distance of about 900 km.
It appears that the missile’s flight time is similar to that of the “Hwasong-17” missile that Pyongyang tested last November, according to the specialized South Korean “NK News” website.
The launch of this new missile could be a second test of the Hwasong-17 missile, but it could also be a test of “a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile developed by Pyongyang that has not been seen before,” Joseph Dempsey, a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told AFP. .
North Korea has long been trying to develop a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. These missiles are easier to store and transport, and they also show better stability and faster readiness for launch, making it more difficult for them to be detected or even destroyed preemptively by US forces.
For his part, Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said that the missile appears to have a range of 14,000 km, which would allow it to reach the US mainland.
The Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida indicated that the missile launched by North Korea apparently landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Western denunciation
Meanwhile, the White House strongly condemned the missile launch. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson warned that “the launch of this missile futilely exacerbates tensions and threatens to destabilize the security of the region.”
“It constitutes a flagrant violation of numerous UN Security Council resolutions,” the US official added.
On Saturday, the G7 countries condemned North Korea’s “irresponsible behavior” after it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The foreign ministers of these countries said in a joint statement after a meeting in Munich that “North Korea’s irresponsible behavior calls for a unified response from the international community, including important new measures taken by the UN Security Council.”
The South Korean army announced earlier the launch of the missile, stressing that the country “is on standby and is cooperating closely with the United States and is in the process of strengthening surveillance and vigilance.”
Military tensions escalated on the Korean Peninsula after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un officially enshrined last September a policy that makes Pyongyang’s nuclear status “irreversible”, and Pyongyang conducted a record number of weapons tests.
Seoul responded by ramping up military exercises with its ally Washington, as the South Korean government seeks to assuage the concerns of its citizens, increasingly concerned about Washington’s commitment to deterring Pyongyang.
American maneuvers with South Korea
The launch is the first Saturday since January 1. It comes days after Seoul announced theoretical exercises scheduled for next week in Washington, during which the two allies will discuss how to counter any use by Pyongyang of nuclear weapons.
On Friday, North Korea waved a strong, “unprecedented” response to the upcoming military maneuvers of Seoul and Washington, considering them preparations for war.
“If Washington and Seoul go ahead with the exercises, they will face unprecedented firm and strong responses,” said a statement by a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman released by state media.
France 24/AFP