Conflicts: Seoul: North Korea fires missile again
conflicts
Seoul: North Korea fires another missile
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea. photo
© KCNA/dpa
North Korea responds to US military exercises with South Korea by testing weapons. In a new test, Pyongyang launched another missile into the air that could carry a nuclear warhead.
Three days after testing a long-range nuclear-capable missile North Korea fired another ballistic missile. South Korea’s military has detected the launch of a short-range missile in the west of the neighboring country, said the general staff in the capital Seoul.
The rocket flew about 800 kilometers eastward before crashing into the open sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The US again sent a long-range B-1B bomber to air force exercises South Korea.
North Korea’s recent missile tests are also seen as a direct response to the country’s military exercises USA with their ally South Korea. Both countries have denied allegations by Pyongyang that their exercises were in preparation for an attack.
South Korea and the US accuse North Korea of serious provocation over its missile tests. The latest test also represents a clear violation of US resolutions, according to a statement from South Korea’s top command authority. North Korea is banned from all ballistic missile tests. Depending on the design, such rockets can be equipped with a nuclear warhead.
Just recently tested ICBM
After testing its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-17, North Korea warned the United States and South Korea about their maneuvers on Thursday. The range of ICBM exceeds 5500 kilometers. The country, run autocratically by Kim Jong Un, is subject to international sanctions because of its nuclear weapons program.
As part of their multi-day commando exercise “Freedom Shield”, both countries, according to the Ministry of Defense in Seoul an air force exercise. In addition to a conventional B-1B supersonic bomber, fighter jets from both sides were also used. In contrast to B-52 bombers, for example, B-1B bombers in their current design do not have nuclear capability.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated significantly since last year. North Korea increased the scope of its missile tests. The US and South Korea took theirs military exercises up again in full.
