SEOUL, South Korea, May 13, 2017 (UPI & GEPHARDT DAILY) — North Korea conducted another in a string of missile tests Saturday amid heightened international tensions over its nuclear program.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported the missile was launched from the city of Kusong, north of the capital Pyongyang and traveled an estimated 435 miles (700 kilometers) before falling into the ocean. Other tests that originated from there have had mixed results with the last two attempts leading to detonation of the projectiles shortly after takeoff.
The United States military confirmed the distance the projectile traveled, but did not describe what kind of missile it was.
The missile landed in the Sea of Japan, between the Japanese islands and the Korean Peninsula. The launch drew a sharp rebuke from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
“Despite strong warning from the international community, North Korea launched a ballistic missile again,” Abe said. “This is totally unacceptable and we strongly protest it. North Korea’s missile launch is a serious threat to Japan and clearly violates … the U.N. resolution.”
North Korea’s last missile launch happened April 29 and was met with stern warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has not ruled out unilateral military action if the communist dictatorship does not stop trying to develop nuclear weapons and a missile system advanced enough to threaten U.S. allies in the region.
The White House was quick to condemn the missile launch. Trump spokesperson Sean Spicer released a statement Saturday night saying the U.S. is poised to support its allies in Asia.
“The United States maintains our ironclad commitment to stand with our allies in the face of the serious threat posed by North Korea,” Spicer said. “Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea.”
Spicer also pointed out the missile landed closer to Russian territory than it did Japan.
“With the missile impacting so close to Russian soil;in fact, closer to Russian than to Japan – the President cannot imagine that Russia is pleased,” Spicer said.
(Developing)
